ARMYNAVY Graces Us With A New Branch

From My Kitchen to whatever is Beyond it, this has got to be one of the best surprises I found for 2011. After dropping my son off to school this morning, I made a quick stop to make a phone call. It's a block away from my son's school. When I was done and about to go, I noticed a big sign to my right.

I got very excited: ARMYNAVY right at our very doorstep! It actually made my morning. Few knows that I'm an avid ARMYNAVY customer. I would go all the way to Makati, Ortigas or Greenhills just to be able to get a munch of their burrito. There are other Mexican inspired restaurants within our reach, but ARMYNAVY has always been exceptional.

I specifically love their Chicken Burrito note: with extra jalapeño and of course their All- Day Breakfast Burrito. Being a burrito lover, really, the picture above made me the happiest. Now, we don't have to rush far to an ARMYNAVY within our reach and in the middle of the night just to be able to get a bite. This ARMYNAVY that's about to open, is 10 minutes away from our house and less than 5 minutes away from my son's school. I call it a blessing from heaven, it is indeed a heavenly treat that one of my favorite food stops has been added in line together with Conti's and Banapple.

Franky's Birthday Celebration At Tender Bob's

As always, all we wanted was a simple birthday celebration for our son... Tender Bob's is one of our all- time family restaurant. We've been dining at Tender Bob's Promenade Greenhills for years. When it comes to special ocassions Tender Bob's has always been our choice. My husband and I would often celebrate our wedding anniversary at Tender Bob's too. Sometimes, after an exhausting day of shopping, we end up having some refreshments in this restaurant too.  For every visit, we make sure that we follow what's on their menu.

From appetizers, soups, salads, main and dessert. It's always fun, that once in a while you let somebody else order food for you. My husband knows me too well, he knows that pasta would always be my choice. During my son's birthday celebration, my husband took command ordering. So here's the list of food that made our son's birthday special.

For Starters: Fish and Chips

Lightly battered fillet of fish with fries

Soup: Tomato Parmesan Soup

Delicately prepared thick & creamy

I'm so happy with my soup, I'd probably order Mushroom Soup for myself... but since my husband took in charge of everything... thank God! it was the best choice for the day. I never tried their Tomato Parmesan Soup before, it was a good soup experience, and is now my new favorite.

Salad: Chicken Caesar Salad

I'm such a sucker for Caesar Salad. This time, I requested my husband not to skip on Caesar Salad. I just love it!

Main: US Beef Salpicao

Main: Roasted US Beef Belly

Slow roasted to tenderness. Rich & juicy

The quality of the beef they serve at Tender Bob's is extraordinary. My US Beef Salpicao was cooked according to my preference ( medium rare). It was tender and juicy.

 Finale: Rocky road Ice Cream!

I see a happy birthday celebrant. No matter how we celebrate my son's birthday, I know that he is very happy to be able to spend it with us, his parents. The following day, we continued his birthday celebration with breakfast, and with a very special guest--- his lolo Mel paid us a visit from San Francisco.

www.tenderbobs.com

Saluyot Soup

Let's go back on being native when it comes to dishes. Saluyot or Jute Leaves is one of the most common, healthy green leafy vegetable we have here in the Philippines. You can practically find it anywhere here in the country. Saluyot or Jute Leaves is one of my family's secret agent to a healthy lifestyle and long life. When I was a kid, my parents never really permitted us to eat junk food or eat in fast food restaurants that often. Our house was surrounded with so much vegetation. So in case we get hungry, my mom can easily whip up a dish with ingredients straight from our backyard. Camote, Alugbati and Saluyot. And my mom would often accompany our food with Saluyot Soup, which is easy to make by the way.

There were times though when my siblings and I would complain and ask for a new kind of soup to be served on the table. The common complaint: "saluyot na naman!" ("saluyot, AGAIN!"). Now that we're older, we realized that hey, Saluyot is keeping us away from hospitals and preventing us from getting sick.

I serve it to my own family now. My son loves it! especially with plain hot white rice and just the soup with the leaves topping his whole plate of rice.

SALUYOT SOUP

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Saluyot Leaves (Jute Leaves) -washed, leaves removed from the stem, chopped into pieces.
• 1/2 liter water
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 pieces chicken breast fillet (chopped into bite sized pieces)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

How To:

• In a sauce pan, quickly saute garlic in olive oil.
• Add chopped chicken and stir until half-cooked.
• Add 1/2 liter of water, bring to boil.
• Add the chopped Saluyot leaves.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

*Eating natural jute regularly helps control blood pressure & cholesterol, and lowers the risk of asthma, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. -source-

Great Deals and Finds From S&R

When it comes to grocery shopping and you want to feel you're in another country, S&R Membership Shopping is our choice. I have been an S&R shopper ever since it opened way back in 2000-2001 (it was a long time ago). After a few years, it re-opened but this time, as an exclusive shopping destination. Now that I am married, my husband and I made sure that we become members. For my husband, it reminded him so much of Costco. He told me that S&R is like a small version of Costco.

We shop in S&R twice a month or more. We just keep on coming back. As a homemaker, the things I like about S&R are their cold cuts, cheeses, gourmet products, fresh meat (pork, beef, chicken and sea food). I also like their baked goodies (in a separate entry). Everything is there and guaranteed fresh all the time. From a regular market to our local supermarket, I shifted on buying our food in S&R.

Just recently, we received an email from S&R notifying us that they're going to have a MEMBERS' TREAT event, they will go on an all out sale. Which includes, Buy1 Take 1 items and discounted products up to 50%. Since we were scheduled to do our groceries, we thought it was very timely. For the regular budget we have, we can get a little more. We started our day early. At 7am, we were already lined up. Note: the line covered the whole of the parking area. Based on our previous S&R MEMBERS' TREAT experience, they really offer so much imported products for a very low price and that explains the rush of buyers and the big crowd we all needed to beat.

March 2011 they also went on sale. That time, we hoarded on bath towels, 300- 500 thread count sheets Queen (which came in a set with pillow cases, fitted sheet, bed sheet ) and some comforters. So with the recent MEMBERS' TREAT event, we thought of concentrating on toiletries, cleaning agents, goodies, canned goods and other household must-haves.

The chips came in on a regular price. But even on a regular basis, we buy our chips from S&R because it's way cheaper compared to our local supermarkets.

Instead of SPAM we decided to try PREM. I remember when our relatives would include PREM everytime they send us some stuff from America. It's cheaper than SPAM, quality? well, almost the same. It's worth the try. My son loves SWISS MISS Milk chocolate, but too bad, they only came in small boxes.

2 of our food finds for this year's sale in terms of price are the 1 Kilo pack of Bounty fresh Chicken Nuggets (Php 199) and the Jennie-O Breakfast Sausage (Php75). 

*You will never find a 1 kilo- pack of Bounty Fresh in any local supermarket. If there is, maybe it's more expensive. I'm such a chicken nuggets person and my husband is a breakfast sausage fan. These 2 products are not new to us. We've been buying these items already, only, on regular price. So when S&R had these discounted, we packed up with so much to last us for the next month.

One of my great finds from the recent sale are the ZIP Products. S&R offered ZIP Dish washing Liquid as a Buy1 Take 1 item 900ml for (Php100). On our first visit,  I bought a set (2 bottles) in lime scent just to try it. Then when we returned over the weekend, we decided to get a box  this time, in lemon. For the price, you might think quality is sacrificed. But NOPE! I like it! It's perfect!  better than the previous brand I used. Another item I truly loved are the GLAD Microwavable containers (Php150 set of 5). It is also dishwasher and freezer friendly and not to forget, with interlocking lids.

Before I forget, S&R also had Corelle dinnerware as a Buy1 Take 1 item. I was pondering on it, not bad, not bad... but we don't need it, I have like 3 sets of Corelle dinnerware here at home 2 of them are in storage. Another is the Corningware 7 pc. bake set. When we went back over the weekend, it was all gone. Darn it!

 Famished? Get a load of these!

After spending hours and hours of shopping and waiting in line to get in then waiting again in line to the cashier, your food choice from S&R will come in handy.

What I want to share in this entry are my fun discoveries, enjoyable shopping experiences with every S&R visit I make. This coming Saturday another visit is about to be made. It's not about the sale, The MEMBERS' TREAT is already over... it's about the idea of a world class shopping experience.

0o0o

Picture taking is not allowed inside the store premises. The snapshot of our cart was just... let's say... timing was perfect. I saw somebody taking a shot of her cart, and the guard beside me wasn't minding her, so I followed using my small Nokia cellphone. But other than that, bringing of DSLRs, digital cameras, taking wide angle shots of the whole store, personal shots and pictures of items with price tags are not allowed.

Please be guided that this entry is from the blog owner's point of view and perspective only.

My Banapple Favorites: Part 1

It took me forever to finally share something from one of my favorite restaurants in Quezon City. Banapple. I live 5 minutes away from the 2 main branches of Banapple. I pass by their restaurant almost everyday. Often times, for "merienda" right after picking up my son from school. We share a slice of cake and a tall, cold glass of their house blend iced tea. Everyday, I look forward to tasting a slice of a new kind of cheesecake, a twirl or 2 from a pasta dish, a sip of an extraordinary drink and over-all, just spending my afternoon in a cozy place where I can relax after a full day of household chores.

There were times when I'd wish I brought my cameras with me. But when one is after the positivity coming from his/ her favorite restaurant, it will not matter  to take a snapshot of the food you're eating. Sometimes it doesn't follow. All you wanna do is cherish the time given to you to enjoy your food at that moment. After a Banapple visit with my son over last weekend,  I went through some food images and I noticed that I have enough photos documented for a Banapple entry. I guess, it's now time to share My Favorites From Banapple .

Banapple branch close to my ♥:  Banapple Blue Ridge, Katipunan.  

My favorite corner in Banapple. 
 It's the coziest place in the restaurant.

I love the interior, the sofa is soft,

it feels like I'm in a dream dessert house.

My Favorite Smoothies

House Specialty: Banapple Smoothie

Dark Chocolate Smoothie

My Favorite Dishes:

House Specialty: Banapple Beef and Sausage Stew

Pasta Verde

House Specialty: Banapple's House Salad

Breaded Fillet of Cream Dory with Honey Thyme Mustard Sauce

Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs

 My Favorite Desserts: Everything!

When it comes to their pies and cheesecakes, that's where my adventure begins. One time, my husband treated me for some afternoon snack in Banapple. He asked me, which one you haven't tried yet? So I pointed and said that I would love to try any of these 3 cheesecakes:  choconut oreo cheesecake, blueberry and cherry chocolate truffle. He ordered a slice for all 3 and in one afternoon,  fed me with 3 kinds of cheesecakes.

It was so good, that my eyes almost popped- out (lol!). A slice is enough for me, but when celebrations, special occasions and even a moment with your loved ones awaits, a whole is perfect to share with everyone.

Cherry Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Dark Chocolate Tiramisu Cheesecake

 My Banapple featurette will not end here because there's so much on their menu. As much as I want to, I can't eat everything in one visit (lol!). Besides, it's always good to taste a little of what's on the menu so there's something to look forward to all the time.

Note: Please refer to the Banapple website for the food prices and description: www.banapplekitchen.com

Pork Steak with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

We all know that steak is best eaten with gravy or any sauce of our choice. Instead of adding gravy, I came up with caramelized onions and mixed it with mushrooms.

The unique taste and flavor of the onions made my pork steak experience extraordinary. The natural sweetness and juice that came out from the onions was perfect for the herb pork steak I prepared.

Ingredients:

• 3 chunks of Pork (steak style)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp butter
• salt and ground pepper
• 1 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 large white onion chopped

How To:

• Season both sides of the pork steak with olive oil, salt, ground pepper, thyme and Spanish paprika. Set Aside.
• In a pan, fry pork steak until golden brown. Set Aside.
• In the very same frying pan, add butter and saute onions until caramelized. 
• Add mushrooms and stir for a few seconds.
• Top the caramelized onions and mushrooms over the pork steak.
• Serve with mixed vegetables or any salad of your choice.

Enjoy!

Left Over Magic--- Pasta Pastel

It's been a long time since I shared a left over magic from my kitchen. Today's featured left- over is from my previous entry: Reinventing Mom's Saucey Pork Roast.

When it comes to cooking, it has been a habit of mine to prepare for at least 2 or 3 extra heads. Obviously, even if my version of pork roast was a total success. It feels like I cooked way too much for everyone here at home. With that, I decided to use the left over Pork Roast and turn it into a pasta dish. 

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 250 g spaghetti (cooked)
  
• Left over pork roast (pork pastel also preferred)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small white onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp chopped chives (spring onions)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)
• salt and ground pepper to taste

How To:

• In a sauce pan, saute garlic until light brown.
• Add chopped onions and left over pork roast (including sauce). Stir until pork is overly cooked that it can be shredded into small pieces.
• Add red bell pepper. Stir for a few seconds.
• Add cooked pasta and chopped chives and mix everything evenly.
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Add grated Parmesan cheese.
• Serve and Enjoy!

Another Left Over Magic From My Kitchen and Beyond!

A New FMKB

FMKB--- From My Kitchen and Beyond is going to be in transition soon. I'm so excited, I'm very happy and inspired to share to you that this food blog will have it's own domain and it's new face in a few weeks or maybe in a month. 

All these years, since this food blog started back in January 2009, I have been pondering on developing it into a more sophisticated website. I think, that From My Kitchen and Beyond deserves all these changes that's about to happen. Between my 2 blogs, this has been the website that has gathered continuous readings, active traffic and feedback not only from fellow bloggers and food enthusiasts, but also from business owners and individuals interested on using my entries as source for their own websites and brochures. 

With this, I also created  an email address: frommykitchenbeyond@gmail.com so that any of you can send me limitless inquiries, questions, suggestions (good and bad). This is also to improve the way the items are presented and how the articles are written.

The new face, the new look? I'm still thinking if I should get someone to design it for me. Or I'm also thinking if I should stick with the old template and change the header instead. Might take a little while though, because I plan to feature our very own kitchen as this site's header. I actually asked my mom to help me decorate the whole kitchen. Fresh flowers, fruit baskets and cook books. 

Love for food has been in my family's heart ever since, that's why this food blog's been thriving even if I don't make so much restaurant reviews. Our very own home cooked dishes, food discoveries, extraordinary experiences makes this food blog special.

I hope you'll stay and join me in this new journey I'm about to take--- From My Kitchen and Beyond.

Reinventing Mom's Saucey Pork Roast

Just last Sunday, my mom prepared some pork roast for our family dinner. With the looks of it, it's quite different from the regular pork roast most of us are familiar with. What made my mom's pork roast unique? It's saucey. Beneath the creamy mushroom sauce, are slices of the roasted pork. It was so good. The pork was soft and juicy. The balance of butter and cream in the sauce was just right. It was everyone's choice for the evening, even the kids loved it.

Mom's Saucey Pork Roast

The following day, I called my mom for her Saucey Pork Roast recipe. I want to practice making my own saucy pork roast but I also want to add something to make it my own. So I asked my ever reliable food taster (my husband)  for some suggestions. He recommended that I add vegetable bits like mixed corn kernels and carrots. As always, corn is perfect for creamy sauces because of it's flavor. Carrots will not only add nutrients, but it will also make the dish more colorful.

I proceeded by tenderizing the tenderloin before roasting it. Then I sliced it into pieces, arranged it in a serving platter. Then, I sauteed some garlic in butter, mushrooms, mixed veggies, a little corn starch, cream of mushroom. When everything is thick and half-cooked, pour the sauce over the prepared pork. Bake it, serve it straight, add another ingredient of your choice... my version of my mom's Saucey Pork Roast was also different. The sauce is thicker and the flavor from the corn gave it an extraordinary taste.

Garlic Soy Chicken

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 5 pcs. Chicken breast fillet ( drumsticks, wings are also preferred)
• 2 whole garlic (minced)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 medium red bell pepper (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 tbsp Cooking oil (for frying)
• 1/2 tsp chilli paste or cayenne powder (optional)
• 1 tsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• salt and ground pepper

How To:

In a bowl, mix soy sauce, 1tsp all purpose flour, honey and sherry vinegar. Set aside.

• Season chicken with salt and ground pepper.
• In a frying pan, fry chicken until golden brown, chop into bite size, then set aside.
• In a separate pan, saute minced garlic in olive oil until golden brown. (Get a tablespoon of fried garlic then set aside as toppings.)
• Add chopped red bell pepper.
• Add chicken and stir for a few seconds.
• Add soy sauce mixture and roasted sesame seeds then stir everything together evenly.
• Add chilli paste or cayenne.
• Serve and top with more garlic.

Enjoy! My version of Soy Chicken can be served as a viand or something paired with a cold bottle of beer and good company.

Mogu Mogu

This is one drink, that I haven't really shared in this food blog. I became familiar with Mogu Mogu when I first dined in Bon Chon Chicken. Yes, Mogu Mogu is part of their list of beverages sold for(₱45ea).

Mogu Mogu is a healthy fruit Juice drink with real Nata de Coco bits.

Now that I'm pregnant, I try to keep away from caffeine and carbonated drinks. It's one of the fruit juices that satisfy me the most, especially when it's super cold. On a very hot day, a cute bottle can quench your thirst in an instant. Plus, the Nata de Coco pieces makes it more enjoyable because it's chewy. It is indeed fun and refreshing. My favorite flavors are: Lychee, Strawberry, Grapes. Actually, I enjoyed all the flavors. Mogu Mogu is available in leading supermarkets here in the Philippines. It is also being sold at Petron Stations (Treats) for (₱32ea).

My Choice For Breakfast--- Danggit

My Dad just got back from Cebu and brought home boxes of Danggit and pusit. Danggit in particular has always been my family's favorite. Lucky, if someone will travel to Cebu or if any of our friends from Cebu will visit us here Manila. Either way, we always ask for some Danggit. Why Cebu? If it's Danggit you want, it should be from Cebu.

Danggit is one of Cebu's famous delicacy. Best when paired with vinegar and fried rice. This morning, I had a Filipino treat, fried some Danggit, chopped some tomatoes and paired it with some coconut vinegar, it was so good I had it also for lunch. By the way, Danggit is the only salted fish or dried fish that I can finish including the head. It's so crunchy, easy to cook and it's easy to eat!