My Kitchen And Beyond

I just want to let everybody know that I will changing my Food Blog's title to a shorter one.

From My Kitchen And Beyond

Since it's long I find it hard to be recognized. The simpler, the shorter, the better. People will remember.

Same perspectives and goals. All posts are going to be about recipes, sweets, restaurant reviews, health, delicacies and stuff that is related to food. I will notify each who linked me up with the old title as soon as I change my button. Thank you so much for the visits and drops! Very much appreciated!

Pasta Puttanesca

This is a very simple recipe I made for the holidays 2007. The ingredients are very basic. You can add some shrimps, other seafoods like crab meat, mussles and pork if you want.

NOTE: I didn't include any specific measurements for some ingredients, those will depend on you on how much you want it. A little background on a very famous Italian Herb used for Puttanesca, capers.

Caper buds blossom on a flowering plant called Capperis Spinosa, a wild bush that grows along the coastlines of southern Italy. It thrives in arid, rocky areas, popping up even in the cracks of old walls. During the spring months, the plant sports large, rosy white flowers. In the Kitchen This aromatic plant has been used for thousands of years in Mediterranean cuisine; in Italy, capers top pizzas and grace alla puttanesca tomato-based sauces. The best capers are smaller in size; larger capers are actually less flavorful. Capers preserved in sea salt, especially those from the island of Pantelleria, are more flavorful than those stored in vinegar. Capers should never be cooked with fellow ingredients, but should be added at the last minute, and only briefly heated. Lengthy cooking causes capers to lose their aroma and take on a more pronounced bitter flavor.

The Recipe:

1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 large onion finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 (8oz.) can of crushed tomatoes
1 (8oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of fresh tomatoes chopped
black olives and green olives
pepper flakes
1 teaspoon capers
mushrooms (i use lots and lots of these)
Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese (a must)
freshly grind pepper and salt to taste
Spaghetti or any pasta of your choice

How To:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender and translucent. Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes on medium heat. Add peppers, black olives, green olives and capers. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes on low heat, or until sauce has thickened.

What's Hot This Summer?

A bowl of this Creamy Goodness! Ice Cream!

Not in a cup, not on a cone and definitely not a scoop, but a tempting bowl!

No Bake Cannelloni

Servings: 5-6
What you will need:
Cannelloni Pasta (a box can be bought at the SM Hypermarket)
1/2 K Lean ground pork or Ground sirloin
560g Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce (sweet or Filipino style)
Button Mushrooms (canned or fresh) (quantity as desired)
Quickmelt cheese (quantity as desired)
2 All-Purpose Cream
6 cloves of garlic minced
2 Green bell peppers chopped
1Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
chopped parsley

How To:
1.
Boil Cannelloni Pasta (should be firm don't over-cook) then set aside
Saute garlic with ground meat simmer
Add chopped mushrooms and bell peppers, simmer
Set aside (cool down)
2.
Simmer tomato sauce in a separate sauce pan
Add a little salt and pepper to taste
Make a quick heat on the all-purpose cream until thick in another sauce pan
3.
Stuff Cannelloni Pasta with the Sauted meat
Set in a Platter
Pour Tomato Sauce first settle then Pour Cream (for a layering effect)
Top the whole platter with quickmelt cheese
Cover with foil until cheese is melted
Top with chopped parsley

note: The thicker the cheese the better. It is going to be the holding ingredient. At the same time, it will also give the "baked appearance" for this recipe.
You can also prepare Cannelloni stuffed with vegetables or any combination of your choice of meats

What's Cookin? Who's Cookin?

One of the greatest gift a Mother will cherish her whole life is to watch her child bloom into her likeness. A passion I enjoy right now is being the queen of my own kitchen. And the lovely part, I now share it with my young Prince. This entry was madeSeptember 25, 2008 in my other blog site. I now want to share this new exciting experience in my very own food site.

Since he was 2, Franky has been part of my kitchen. It may not look and sound safe but, yes, I carry him around with me while I cook our grub of the day. That's one Mommyism risk I took and with God's help I was able to keep him safe while I do my work.

Now, when he sees me get the ingredients from the pantry, he forgets all about playing and concentrates on what I am doing around the kitchen. During his 4th birthday, he was with me standing on his thinking chair watching me cook his birthday treat. I just love it when he shows interest in what his mom is up to. Every little kid has his own curiosity stage. I'm proud that my son's curiosity started in my own place of zen, the kitchen. At a young age of 4, Franky knows how to work around already.

He knows where to put the dirty dishes, he washes his hands just as instructed before handling food and he helps me set the table.
And he was at it again this evening. This time I have to take pictures.
Still part of the whole curiosity thing--- playing
while sauteeing the garlic
Helping me with the chayote
Part of our small chef's on parade, are some lessons from big momma. Like teaching him the kind of vegetables we're using.

Now for the recipe: Very easy.

All you'll be needing are the following:

2 Hearts Full of Love

2 Heaping Cups of Kindness

2 Armfuls of Gentleness

2 Cups of Friendship

2 Cups of Joy

2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness

1 Lifetime of Togetherness

2 Minds Full of Tenderness

Methods: Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience.

Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.
Recipe for Love:
Author: unknown @ scrapbook.com

Spring Rolls---Lumpiang Shanghai

It is one of my favorite party dish. Its easy and clean to eat. And you can match any dip or sauce with it. Yum!

Spring rolls are a specific type of fried pastries. It is very famous in several Asian countries including the Philippines. In Taiwan, they are open to 2 options how they like their rolls.

1. Fried

2. Non-Fried

Fried spring rolls are generally smaller and crispier. They can be sweet or savory; the latter are typically prepared with meat or vegetables. Non-fried spring rolls are typically bigger and more savory. In contrast, non-fried spring rolls typically fill the wrapping with pre-cooked ingredients. The most commonly eaten style of non-fried Taiwanese spring rolls is called runbing. -source-

Spring Roll Wrappers HERE

Little they know, here in the Philippines we also made these 2 versions available. Lumpiang Prito and Lumpiang Sariwa.
Same procedure and ingredients, different name.
This type of lumpia is filled with ground pork, minced onion, carrots and spices with the mixture held together by eggs. It may sometimes contain any vegetable of your choice that is easy to cook. Lumpiang shanghai is cooked deep-fried and best served with sweet and sour sauce.

Tea Talk And Others Related To Health

Just last week I posted an article about tea and the amazing results it gave me. HERE
I am just an ordinary person trying to make the most of what I have, everyday. Like I said, Tea has been part of my family's diet since childhood. My parents are health buffs. We've gone organic since I was a kid. The result: Not a single member of the family got hospitalized until now.

Tea is good with digestion. It burns fats. It will only go haywire if you don't eat and you take so much of it. Simply because there's nothing to burn. Anything taken less or too much is bad for one's health. Its a matter of balancing. Eating a well-balanced meal, simple exercises best support the tea issue.
With the Simple Exercises I mentioned, I am referring to the following:
-brisk walking
-regular chores around the house
-playing and running after your kid
-even errands
We all need movement.
A well-balanced meal comes with great moderation. Tea helped me acquire this. At the same time, you will still be healthy with all the vitamins, fiber and protein your body needs. Tea is good. And it really did made my tummy smaller in 3 days. Not as flat, but you know there's improvement. And I took it without even exercising. What more can it bring if you get some movement go with it.
Drink a hot cup of tea with meals. Some people tend to gulp cold beverages such as milk, soda and water with their meals. Having a hot cup of tea will encourage less liquid while your eating, which is much better for digestion. People tend to sip rather than gulp with a hot drink. Green Tea is very famous for weight loss results. source
I personally, don't take anything that is being advertised a lot or has become a trend (that includes organic). Red Rice is the only organic product I rely on at the moment. The rest I trust, are the ones my parents are using. And besides I can't go organic all the way, I have a growing kid who needs a balanced meal everyday. And tea is the one that's helping me balance my own in-take. The one I'm using right now is not available here in the Philippines, maybe at some health store. It's Bergamot. An herb, a type of English tea with a balanced aroma, colour and strength. But again, it's not the only one around. Dried jasmine i love too.
The Lifestyle?
A doctor told us that the diseases which we are making waves at the moment, are acquired thru the food we have been eating through the years. It's not the food we are taking- in now. Of course it's clear that if we continue this unhealthy lifestyle, it might just cut our lives short.
And to be honest, I can't say that I have a healthy lifestyle. Reality check: Eating in restaurants, especially fast food proves it. But nobody is perfect. Nobody can say that your lifestyle is right or wrong (xcept the experts). And Again..."Anything taken less or too much is bad for one's health".
NOTE: This is not a paid review. All statements are of the author's only. Based on experiences and conversations with experts.

Restaurant Thoughts @ Fish & Co.

Location: The Mall Of Asia---Ground Level, Entertainment Mall, South Wing

Specialty: Seafood

Budget: Php200-450

It's the day after Christmas, everyone's out spending their Christmas gifts, all are out having fun with their loved ones and enjoying meals. We literally went around the 3rd largest mall in the world, looking for a restaurant. But thank God for crowded restaurants, we were able to try Fish & Co. for the first time.I am very fond of making food reviews, may it be through my online journal or simply by word of mouth. Especially food outlets we tried for the first time. I have been seeing Fish and Co everywhere in the metro. At Greenbelt 3, The TriNoma Mall and at The Shangri-la Mall.

That night, we weren't into seafood. That's why it took us several rounds to finally try Fish & Co. And it didn't disappoint us. We ordered some small munchies that will fill up our tummies a bit. Except for my son's Chicken Mango Glaze. You know kids...they should be eating the right food at the right time. Fish & Co. has a menu consisting of seafood dishes prepared in the most delicious way you could ever imagine. Their dishes are indeed fresh to perfection. We thought that it will only fill our tummies a bit, but we went out with our bellies full. With the NY Fish & Chips alone...it is the best I've ever tasted. It's so juicy and creamy inside. There was no after taste.

Here are some of the dishes we tried:

Fried Calamari (if I'm not mistaken, you have the option of having it grilled) It also comes with the most tasteful mayo -garlic sauce.

Chicken Mango Glaze

New York Fish & Chips
Be blissfully stuffed with the generous portion that we present and enjoy the treat as all their dishes are delicious and prepared in a straight-forward and wholesome manner.

Uses natural ingredients like olive oil, herbs and specialty home-made spices. They also have a complete meal available, a Kid's Bait or a Kid's meal and bottomless drinks :)

http://www.fish-co.com/main

Ampalaya----Bitter Melon

It is a vine grown in tropical countries known for its bitter fruit and considered as the most bitter among the vegetables. Are you familiar with this medicine for diabetics called Charantia? Well, part of my research, I found out that the scientific name for Bitter Melon is, Momordica charantia. And this is not a paid review, I just wanted to share the origin of the medicine's name. Anyway, Bitter Melon is not as savoury and tasteful compared to your favorite vegetable.

Through the years I've learned to love this vegetable. It's just a matter of how one cook it. I noticed the bigger the fruit, the more bitter it is. The two Bitter Melon in the picture shown are my ideal size and shape. Still bitter, but it will surely make you enjoy your meal.

Bitter melons are seldom mixed with other vegetables due to the strong bitter taste, although this can be moderated to some extent by salting and then washing the cut melon before use. The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens; in the Philippines, where bitter melon leaves are most commonly consumed, they are called dahon (leaves) ng ampalaya. The seeds can also be eaten, and give off a sweet taste, but have been known to cause vomiting and stomach upset. -wikipilipinas-

Bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. It also helps maintain normal blood sugar. Bitter melon is popularly seen as a plant-insulin. It has been demonstrated that bitter melon contains a protein similar to bovine insulin.

Chopsuey

Sorry for the delayed post. I got busy posting ads in my other site. And it's a bit stressful trying to grab opps. But I think it's worth it.

Hi MaryAnn!!! thanks for reminding me on posting another recipe. This dish was scheduled Monday Feb. 2 although I posted a dish before but it's a borrowed recipe so, not considered mine.

This particular ChopSuey recipe is definitely from my kitchen.

This dish was invented by our Chinese friends. And I would like to add that their dishes are of my favorite. Chopsuey consists of meats (often shrimp or pork), cooked quickly with vegetables. Such as, cabbage, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, chayote, and bound in a starch-thickened sauce.

What you will be needing:

note: The more veggies and ingedients, the merrier!

In this particualr dish, I made cauliflower as the main vegetable.
2 whole cauliflower chopped to desired size and shape
1 medium carrot
1 chayote
1/4 K string beans
1 medium onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
A handful of shrimps
A handful of squidballs sliced into 2

note: I like to be honest, I can't figure out how to measure the shrimp and squidballs, because I literally got them from the freezer with my bear hands.With mine, I used squid balls and shrimps to get a seafood flavor. And I'm not kidding about the flavor, I am a squidball person, so I used a lot in this recipe.

2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 Cup water
2 tbs cornstarch mixed in 1 Cup of water (separate from the first cup mentioned)
2 tbsp olove oil
salt and pepper

note: all veggies chopped to your desired size and shape

How To:

Saute garlic until light brown

Add onion,oyster sauce, shrimps and squidballs stir for a few seconds

Add carrots, chayote and string beans stir for another minute
Add 1 Cup Water and simmer until veggies are half cooked
Add cauliflower and simmer again until all are cooked.
Add cornstarch mixture
Salt and pepper to taste
Viola!
Servings: 4-5

Best served with hot rice. Yummy! Happy Eating!

Beef Steak

This is a borrowed recipe from Mr. Luv4fud from my grouprecipes circle. I was in search of an easy beef steak recipe when I landed on his site. This was posted in 2007. I just transferred it, considering that this site is going to be home for delights cooking from my kitchen and stuff.

I love eating this dish during breakfast with rice. Sorry the picture is blurry, I used a cheap camera :)

What You Will Be Needing:

2 Lbs. Round Roast (lean beef)
1 Large red onion
1 Cup of soy sauce
1 Cup of water
1 dozen calamansi (squeezed)
salt and pepper
Corn oil for frying

How To:

1.In a large bowl marinate beef in soy sauce, water, calamansi, and msg for an hour.

2.Heat frying pan and add 2 Tbs. of corn oil and fry meat in batches until they all have good sear marks on both sides.

3.Remove meat from the pan and set aside. Repeat the process for the next batch.
4.You will need to add more oil each time you fry more batches of meat. When you are done frying, add all the meat back into the frying pan and add the remaining marinade to the pan.
5.Let it simmer for 5 minutes on medium heat and then add the onions and let cook for another minute.
6.Serve with rice and enjoy your Bistek!

It's so yummy, it's also fperfect for Lunch and Dinner. Happy Eating!