Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Winnie, with her post Unique Cheesecake with Homemade Cheese", on her site: Something Sweet.

I love how Ms. Winnie decorated her cheesecake! So fun! Click on the shot to see some more lovely and delicious pictures of her cheesecake (as well as the recipe!). 

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Something light and fresh this week: Cauliflower and Pasta (with Coconut Milk and Basil)

Ingredients:

• pasta of your choice (cooked according to package directions)
• cauliflower
• ground pork (optional, if you want to make it vegetarian)
• basil cubes (here is how I did mine)
• coconut milk (fresh, frozen, or from a can, or powder....whichever is available)
• salt, pepper, garlic
• arugula

Procedure:

• Place ground pork on hot pot with a bit of water. Add salt and pepper. Once water has evaporated, brown the meat for a bit, then add garlic and cauliflower. Mix till cauliflower is half-cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta and keep warm.
• Add basil cubes and coconut milk to the cauliflower and pork. It's not going to be a soup, so go easy on the amount. Turn off fire.
• Add to the pasta and mix well.
• Adjust seasoning, if you have to.
• Add a side of arugula (which I drizzled with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and calamansi juice), or any green of your choice.

Enjoy!

I really loved the dish, though my youngest was not so fond of the arugula. Weird combination, but I have never really been known to follow what is tradition. lol. When it comes to food, I have always believed: To each his own! :P

I would like to say, though, that this is going to be my last Food Friday post. Well, I just might post (will, most probably) some more food posts, but it would not be strictly on Fridays. lol. I love food too much. :D

Also, I would love to thank everyone who has played Food Friday! Through this weekly thingy I have learned not only about new (and old) restaurants, new recipes, new ingredients, new ways of cooking, but also about the different cultures and the important role that food has been playing... Again, many thanks! :)

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Hazel, with her post, Exam season, on her blog: In the Big Chili.

Yum Yum Yum! Perfect treat for someone who has been working 9hrs per day for the past couple of days...right, Ms. Hazel? :) Click on the shot to know more about Ms. Hazel's lovely post!

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Something really simple for today:  My "Pumped Up" Cereals.

Ingredients:

• Cereals of your choice (I used Nestle's Fitnesse Clusters {Almond Nut})
• Milk (I used Almond Breeze {AlmondMilk and CoconutMilk blend})
• Chia seeds (preferably left to soak in the milk/liquid first till it "blooms" to a gel-like consistency similar to tapioca)
• Cacao nibs (mine was coated in coconut sugar)

Procedure:
Mix chia seeds and milk. Once the seeds have bloomed (mine took about ten minutes), add in the cereals and cacao nibs. Enjoy! :)

My shot shows chia seeds that have not bloomed yet. Had to wait for a bit, and by the time the seeds were ready, my cereal flakes were already soggy! lol. Lesson learned. Still, it was delicious!

Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Hazel, with her post "One Fine Morning", on her blog: In the Big Chili.

I have heard of steak and kidney pie before, but haven't tried it myself. Looking at the shot above, I am deeply encouraged to try it! Do click on the shot and visit Ms. Hazel's post!

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Another fish post from me (I seem to be more than crazy about fish these days! lol): Tulingan (Tuna) in Coconut Milk and Basil

Ingredients
Tulingan (cleaned, cut, and tail "ripped" off, lol; i used three small ones)
Coconut milk powder (if you have fresh, use that!) mixed accdg. to packet directions
Chili (three or more)
Bellpepper (cut into roughly the same size as the ginger)
Fresh Basil (I initially used around fifteen leaves, chopped)
Pepper, Salt, Ginger

Procedure:
Once the fish is cleaned, cut and tail removed, place in a deep pot.
Add the prepared coconut milk.
Throw in the chili, chopped basil, bellpepper, salt, pepper, and ginger.
Let boil, then simmer for about half an hour. Add more water when needed.
Adjust seasoning, and once satisfied, remove from heat.
Tastes great with sliced fresh tomatoes (with salt), and more sprinklings of chopped fresh basil (both on the fish and the tomatoes), together with steamed rice.

Yes, I ditched the fork and ate with my bare hands that day! lol. I loved the taste of the basil with the fish and coconut milk. The salted tomatoes helped much, too. Soul food!

By the way, since I bought more fresh basil than what I needed that day (even if I got the smallest pack), decided to "store" the remaining 1 1/2c basil (mixed with 1/2 cup coconut oil, then processed in a blender) inside the freezer. Will transfer the frozen basil oil cubes inside a plastic bag; that way, I have my own basil oil whenever I want/need one! :P

Am sure you can do this with other herbs, too. Less wastage this way. Or with fruits (just omit the oil, of course). I usually freeze the fruits that I use for my smoothies. I no longer add ice. :)

Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Mr. Nicholas, with his post Raisin Bread, on his blog: Intelliblog.

I would love to know how to bake breads!  This recipe shared by Mr. Nick goes to my to-do list. Hopefully, I will learn to make a decent bread soon! Click the shot to see his recipe!

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Another quick and easy dish: Fish and Eggplant (in Coconut Milk).

Ingredients:

• fresh fish
• eggplants
• coconut milk (fresh or powdered form)
• chilis, onions, ginger
• salt, pepper
• fish sauce (optional)

Procedure:

• Clean fish, sprinkle some salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Put coconut milk on pot, then add the chili, onions, salt, pepper and ginger. Simmer.
• Add the sliced eggplants and continue simmering until cooked. Remove and set aside.
• Add the prepared fish. In my case, since I used a very flat fish, it only took about five minutes (or was it less?!) to cook.
• Return the cooked eggplants to the pot. Simmer for a minute, or two, and adjust seasoning. Add fish sauce, which is totally optional.
• Yummy served hot, with rice.

Fuss free, easy, and fast! I love cooking )and eating) dishes like this! I wanted to use another veggie, but I only had eggplants, so .... :P

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Oggi, with her post "Cherry Tomato Confit" on her blog: I Can Do That!

This is a very interesting foodie post from Ms. Oggi. For me, that is. I mean, I have never tried anything like this before. Would love to try it! Click on the shot to know what I am babbling about! :P

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I had one remaining big chayote and some dried mushrooms which I didn't want it to go to waste. The mushrooms were still fine, but the chayote had to be cooked. Rummaged through my meager supply and came up with this: Chayote and Mushrooms in Coconut Milk.

Ingredients

• Chayote (peeled and sliced)
• Mushrooms (I had dried shiitake mushrooms, which I soaked in water for about fifteen minutes, then sliced; reserve the liquid)
• Coconut milk powder

Procedure:

• Place chayote slices as well as the sliced mushrooms inside a pot. Add the reserved water (where the mushrooms were soaked) to the coconut milk powder, then mix in with the chayote and mushrooms. Water must be more than halfway.
• Let boil then simmer until chayote and mushrooms are tender. Add more water if needed.
• Since the coconut milk powder that I used is already seasoned, I no longer had to add anything else. But it's your choice: you may add salt/fish sauce/pepper if you want.
• Remove from fire once satisfied.
• Delicious when served and eaten warm.

Back home we used to cook the chayote with ground pork, or just with the coconut milk. Adding the mushroom is a first for me and it is a refreshing difference! The mushroom water as well as the mushroom itself gave it another "dimension".

We had that for lunch, paired with fried fish! Loved it! :)

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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FREE Ebook: Coconut Milk & Oil Recipes

Coconut Milk & Oil Recipes: Paleo Coconut Oil, Flour Recipes, Gluten Free, & More!
This looks like an interesting book. For me, anyway. lol. :P

Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Mr. Nicholas with his post Easy Fruit Loaf, on his site: Intelliblog.

The recipe for this Fruit Loaf seems easy enough for someone like me who barely dabbles with baking. I would love to give this a try! Want to know how Mr. Nick made this? Click on the shot above!

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Last weekend we went to one of those weekend markets ... just to buy shrimps! Well, that was the main objective but of course when we got there I couldn't help but buy a bit of this and a bit of that. lol. It was raining when we got there, but still there was a bit of a crowd. The majority of the shrimp was cooked the way my youngest (and hubby) liked it (previous post) while around one-fourth was made into this: Shrimps and Long Beans in Coconut Milk.

Ingredients

• shrimp (cut the sharp rostrum tip and pull out the antennule)
• long beans (i happened to chance upon some gorgeous ones at the weekend market; cut into 1.5" sizes)
• wansoy/cilantro (as much or as little as you like)
• coconut milk (fresh or in powder form..whatever you have available)
• chili (i used two)
• ginger, onion, and garlic (all diced)
• salt, pepper, fish sauce, canola oil

some of the ingredients used

Procedure

• Put cooking oil on to a hot pot, then saute the diced ginger, onion, and garlic. Don't burn, please. It wouldn't taste nice (based on experience, lol).
• Add the shrimps and mix. Wait until the shrimp turns slightly orangey then add coconut milk. 
• Once it starts to simmer, add the long beans, chili, cilantro (leave some for garnish), salt, and pepper. Mix.
• Simmer some more until the long beans gets cooked (around 5 minutes, in my case), stirring occasionally. Add a few drops of fish sauce (optional, but this does give it more flavour, in my opinion) together with the remaining chopped cilantro, once done.
• Transfer to a serving plate. Delicious served hot.

I first tasted something similar back while I was in college (eons ago!lol), while dropping in on a friend. I really liked it, but haven't thought of cooking it myself (until now). This dish just brings back sooo many memories.

I liked biting into some of those ginger bits; I know, some might not like that. lol. So, you may opt not to dice your ginger into tiny bits but slice them big instead (you can avoid them that way). The dish actually tasted much better the next day since the flavours have all fused together (including the spicy chili!). I reheated it via a steamer. I tell you, I ate loads of rice the next day! :P

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

InLinkz seems to be glitchy today...found out that it picked two featured players! No worries, happy to feature not one, but TWO yummy food posts for this week!

This week's Featured Food Friday players are ...

Ms. Kim, with her post Squash and String Beans in Coconut Milk, on her blog: @my tabletop.

I am a big fan of anything with coconut milk (usually) so this one definitely gets a thumbs-up from me! I haven't tried cooking this version (with pork), but would love to try it! I just love it when one basic recipe gets different variations. I believe that that's what cooking (and eating) is all about anyway:  it's a personal thing!

and

Ms. Oggi, with her blog post Matcha Daifuku, on her blog: I Can Do That!

I first tasted mochi a couple of years back and I instantly loved it! It reminded me of the 'kakanins/local snacks" we usually have at home. You know, the ones with coconut milk and/or sticky rice. I love mochi mixed in with yogurt, or paired with a delicate tea. I haven't tried making it myself, though. If you want to know how it's made, then go and check out Ms. Oggi's post; and see the different versions she made. You'll love it!

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Japanese Food: my post for this week.
Nope, not my cooking. Though I wish it was. lol.

upper LEFT: Kani Salad
upper RIGHT: Gomoku Ramen
lowest pic: Chicken Teriyaki

I have been craving for some hot ramen/noodles the couple of days and that's why when we got the chance to go out as a family this week (just the two kids and I), we had lunch in one of our fave restaurants, Kimono Ken. As usual, we just had to have hot gomoku ramen, kani salad, teriyaki chicken, sashimi, and kani tempura (last two dishes not in the pic). Surprisingly, no rice this time; and am glad, since we were full after we slurped and chomped everything down!

Gomoku Ramen

Reminder: Please don't forget to link back (a simple text would be great, or you may use the buttons provided here). Also, please try to visit the other party-goers and leave some commentluv to let them know that you dropped by. Many thanks! :)

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is...

Ms. Tetcha, with her blog post: P.F. Chang's Opens at Bonifacio Global City, on her blog Delight My Appetite.

I love eating chocolates and that cake on that shot is totally calling out to me! Let's join Ms. Tetcha as she reviews some of the fares that she has sampled over at PF Chang's! Yummmmy !!!!

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This week's post is: Tilapia in Coconut Milk with Chayote. A mouthful, I think, but simple to make. I love chayote (we call it sayote around here) in coconut milk (and that's how we usually cook it back home), and I have also come to like tilapia with coconut milk, so why not cook them together in one dish! :D

Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is...

Ms. Iska who owns the site ISKAndals.com, with her blog post: Saucy Pan-Fried Crispy Chicken Wings Adobo

Yummmy..and can we have some of those for dinner? Am sure that's what my youngest would say when he sees that shot. Cooking the chicken adobo-style then frying it is a wonderful idea! You can just imagine all the flavors that has seeped in...And if you want to see more yummy recipes (and shots!) then I encourage you to check out Ms. Iska's site!

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My post for this week is: Banana Bud/Blossom in Coconut Milk (with Shiitake Mushrooms).

Ingredients

• one whole banana bud/blossom
• several dried shiitake mushrooms
• coconut milk (pure and diluted)
• water, salt, onions, ginger, chili, fish sauce

banana bud/blossom cut thinly then mixed with salt and pressed to remove the sap; mushrooms soaked in water

Procedure

• Slice the banana blossoms thinly (except the thick top ... discard that part) then add coarse salt. Press together to release the liquid/sap from the sliced blossoms. It will turn brown. Remove the liquid and discard. Set the banana blossoms aside.
• Place around two cups diluted coconut milk on pot, together with crushed ginger, chili, and sliced onions. Add the banana blossoms and sliced mushrooms; let boil. Simmer for around twenty-five minutes (or more) until tender. Add water if needed.
• When both the mushrooms and banana blossoms are tender, add around a cup of pure coconut milk. Again, simmer for around five minutes (this is the part where you may adjust the seasonings: salt or fish sauce) then turn off the heat.
• Serve hot.

Had that together with fried salted fish (boneless dangit) and steamed rice. I ate a lot of rice that lunch. :D

I notice I seem to be eating/posting food with coconut milk these past few weeks. Not to worry, next week am sure there will be NO coconut milk! lol. Thanks so much for playing, everyone!

Reminder: Please don't forget to link back (a simple text would be great, or you may use the buttons provided here). Also, please try to visit the other party-goers and leave some commentluv to let them know that you dropped by. Many thanks! :)

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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is...

Mr. Nick, who owns Intelliblog, with his blog post: Spring Risotto

Doesn't that just look so gorgeous? I think I have tried risotto only once and I wasn't impressed (not that am an expert, lol) and that's why I haven't ordered it since. But just looking at that shot...it's now on my need-to-try-soon list! Want to know how to whip one delicious dish like that shot above? Then click the picture to be transported to Mr. Nick's Intelliblog.

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This week's Food Friday post is something that I have cooked for the first time: Tuna in Coconut Milk. I have eaten this dish a million times, though. lol. The fish that we usually use for this is what we locally call tulingan, and I believe that the English names are Mackerel Tuna and Skipjack Tuna.

Ingredients

• 1 Kilo fresh fish (tulingan/tuna with the gills removed and the tail pulled off - they say that you need to remove an irritant found near the base of the tail, that's why it should be pulled, and not cut off. true? i have no idea, but i just go along with the old folks' explanation. lol)
• 2 1/2 cups fresh coconut milk (honestly, nothing beats fresh coconut milk, but if you have the canned/powdered ones on hand, that's fine too)
• 2 or more chili (your choice)
• salt, pepper, ginger
• fish sauce (optional)

Procedure:

• Place coconut milk (about half of it) and cleaned tuna in a pot. Add salt, pepper (I used lots!), chili, and ginger. Let boil then simmer for about half an hour. Or until you think that the fish is tender enough.
• Add the remaining coconut oil and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes. This is usually the time to adjust the seasoning to your liking. You may add fish sauce, some more salt, or even some more pepper. Your call.
• Once you're satisfied, serve hot. With rice. :)

There are also other ways to cook this fish, but this has got to be my fave. I know, I just love coconut milk with almost any dish so I might be biased. lol. I learned that cooking this dish was so simple and easy (I didn't slave over the stove the whole time!) that I am a hundred percent sure that I'll cook this again. :)

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Food Friday

This week's Featured in Food Friday players are ...

Mr. Erwin, a guest blogger and chef, and Ms. Iska, who owns the blog ISKAndals.com. Their post last week was CEVICHE.

 That shot reminds me of  "Kinilaw", a very popular dish back home (I haven't tried making it myself, though). But this dish is actually quite different (you've got to visit the post to see it!) and turns out to be something that I'd love to try. Ms. Iska's foodie site (she also does 'sketches') is a heaven for those who loves food and enjoys preparing it. Together with guest blogger Chef Erwin, they offer us dishes that are familiar yet has been modified to create something that is all their own. Their recipes, coupled with wonderful informative shots, actually helped me liven up some of my boring dishes. Oh yes, it did! :)

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My food post for this week is one of those boring dishes, lol. But it's really easy: Squash with Moringa in Coconut Milk.

Ingredients:

• Squash
• Moringa leaves
• Coconut milk/cream (you may use powder or canned; I prefer to use freshly grated coconut and wring the liquid out. basically, I use "thin" {second pressing, with around 2 cups of water added} and "thick" {obtained during the first pressing, with about half a cup of water added} coconut milk, reserving the latter during the last phase of the cooking)
• Bell pepper (red)
• Ginger, Chili, Salt
• Fish Sauce (optional)

Procedure:

• Clean and cut squash. Put inside a pot together with "thin" coconut milk. Dump in the crushed ginger, bell pepper slices, chili, and salt.
• Let boil, then simmer for a couple of minutes until squash is half-cooked.
• Add the moringa leaves; wait for about a minute, then mix in the "thick" coconut milk. Continue mixing until it starts simmering again. Taste and adjust seasoning. I added fish sauce. Turn off fire.
• Serve hot.

Loved it with fried salted fish and rice. Ahhh, soul food! :D

Reminder: Please don't forget to link back (a simple text would be great, or you may use the buttons provided here). Also, please try to visit the other party-goers and leave some commentluv to let them know that you dropped by. Many thanks! :)

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