Food Friday

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

Ms. Oggi, with her post: Tikoy Turon for Chinese New Year, on her site "I Can Do That!".

This is perfect for this week's Food Friday feature! The Chinese New Year starts today, and 2014 is the Year of the Horse! Tikoy is being sold in most supermarkets these days (actually, a week before!) and I must admit buying at least one is a big temptation. It's a good thing Ms. Oggi has included her recipe in the above post! Click on the above shot to know more!

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Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! I know, that doesn't really even mean Happy New Year; in fact, when translated literally it says "Congratulations and wishing you prosperity!". lol. But I don't really speak Chinese so.... :)

It's another soup post for me today: Carrots and Squash Soup.

Ingredients:

• squash (cut into roughly 1" sizes, then roasted with crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper; then mashed)
• carrot (placed in blender, together with some wan soy/cilantro)
• chicken stock, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper
• cheese (optional)

Procedure:

• Heat the chicken stock, together with some ginger, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the mashed squash. Place everything in the blender if you want it smooth (and you get to eat the ginger and garlic, too)! I placed mine in the blender. :P
• Return to the pot. You may add the cheese at this point and let them melt. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
• In the meantime, skin the carrot, dice and put in clean blender. Add the wan soy/cilantro and a bit of the squash mixture. Then blend till you're satisfied with the consistency.
• Add to the warm squash mixture. Mix. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve warm. Garnish with some wan soy/cilantro leaves. You may add cream, if you want. 
• Dip warm bread. Enjoy!

I seem to be cooking more soups these past few days! Blame it all on the cold weather! I had that soup warm, with some  malunggay pandesal (with garlic-parsley butter) that day. If I had that during lunch/dinner time, I'd most probably partner it off with rice and another dish (fish or chicken, most likely).

Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! 2014, the Year of the (Wood) Horse in the Chinese Calendar, will start today and end on February 18, 2015.  Just random info. :P

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Food Friday

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

Manang Kim, with her post "Chopsuey" on her site: @my tabletop.

This is one of my comfort foods! Reminds me so much of my university days (back home my parents never did cook chopsuey that much) and the moments spent eating take-out foods with my roommates. I love the different variations that I have tasted (so far!). Want to know how Manang Kim cooked hers? Then click the above shot!

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Lately I have been seeing loads of corns being sold and that got me thinking: corn soup! So when I chanced upon a vegetable vendor selling white corn (not the "sweet yellow corn" that I usually see in in the supermarkets), I just had to buy some. But what really made me decide to buy the corns was because of it's freshness. It smelled sweet! Well, to me, anyway. My sons couldn't see/smell any difference, lol. So, here's my Corn Soup ...

Ingredients:

• corn kernels (you may use canned, or fresh)
• ground meat (i used pork; as little/more as you like; or you may omit this)
• onions, garlic (all diced)
• ground cumin, salt, pepper
• malunggay leaves (shredded, mostly just for garnish)

Procedure:

• Place meat (if using meat) in pot and brown. Add oil only when needed. Add salt, pepper, diced onions, and garlic. Mix well. **If you do decide to omit the meat, just saute the onion and garlic first before adding in the kernels.
• While the meat is cooking, remove the corn from the cobs, if using fresh corns. (Some corns I decided to just cut in half.). 
• Once you are satisfied with the meat, dump in the corn (except for the whole ones). Mix and let them all get acquainted for a bit; around three minutes.
• Add water. I added only till it covered the corns. Don't forget the whole (actually they are half by now, lol) ones, too! Sprinkle some ground nutmeg. Let boil, then keep simmering until the corns are done to your liking. I think I cooked mine for about ten minutes. Or so.
• Adjust seasoning.
• Garnish with some shredded malunggay leaves before serving. Yummy when eaten warm.

I was excited about cooking this since the corns were really fresh! In fact, I was surprised that it actually tasted sweet! I mean, the white corn that am used to is not that sweet compared to the yellow sweet corn. I think I like this variety better. lol. We had that with buttered bread and my sons asked for seconds! :)

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Food Friday

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

Ms. Winnie, with her post "Soft Challahs with Semolina" on her blog: Something Sweet.

Now who wouldn't want to have a piece of that!!! I wish I know how to make my own breads, like Ms. Winnie! I'll get there...eventually. In the meantime, do try to click on the shot if you want to know how that gorgeous bread was made!

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What to do if I have more carrots than the usual? Make it into a soup! This is my Cheesy Carrot Soup (with some burnt pandesals on the side, lol).

Ingredients:

• Carrots (used 4 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced)
• Celery (as little or as much as you like)
• Cheese (all I had was cheddar, but you can use whatever you want)
• Cream (used half a 250ml pack, but you can add more)
• Ground pork (totally optional)
• garlic, onion, soy sauce, salt, pepper
• nutmeg, cream

some of the ingredients used, and the pureed veggies

Procedure:

• Place the peeled and chopped carrots, together with the celery, in the blender. Add about a cup of water. Blend till you're satisfied. Set aside.
• Brown some meat on a pan, together with some onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and a few dashes of soy sauce.
• Dump the pureed veggies, then mix. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. I added garlic powder at this stage.
• Let simmer for around three minutes, then add the cheese. Once melted, take off the heat then pour in the cream. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning until satisfied.
• Delicious served warm with bread (or with rice and another viand).

My youngest doesn't like the taste of celery so much, hence I decided to blend it together with the carrots. Added the cheese to make sure the kids would love it ... and they did! :) Me, I liked it, too (even if am not really a carrot fan). ;P

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Food Friday

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

Ms. Dominique, with her post Har Gow and Egg Tarts on a Friday, on her blog: From Dominique's Desk.

I just LOVE the colors on these har gow pieces! I wish I know how to make them! To learn more about the shot above, do click on the shot and see Ms. Dominique's yummy post.

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Squash and Snow Peas Soup is the post for today!

Ingredients

• squash (peeled and chopped)
• snow peas
• chicken stock, cheese, milk, olive oil 
• garlic, pepper, salt

Procedure

• Place the squash together with the garlic cloves in a pan. Drizzle olive oil (or any oil that you have on hand), salt and pepper. Mix. Roast till tender.
• Peel the cloves and mash together with the squash. Set aside.
• Heat chicken stock (or you may opt to use plain water or vegetable stock), then add milk and sliced snow peas. Let simmer.
• Add the mashed mixture together with cheese and mix well.
• Adjust seasoning to your liking.
• Serve hot.

Honestly, immediately after roasting the squash I couldn't help but gobble a few. Then when I started mashing them I loved it even more because of the roasted garlic. But, I was planning on making soup, so I continued on. My kids liked it; I guess because of the cheese. lol. :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. Dominique, with her blog post: Dim Sum on a Friday, on her blog: Dominique's Desk

My family and I love eating dim sum whenever we get the chance! I just love the different varieties that are available! I think I should try making them...though it is a bit daunting for me. lol Let's see. In the meantime, do click on the picture above and see the other goodies that Ms. Dominique and her family had that day!

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The previous days (and nights) have been colder than usual (and we're loving it!), so I knew I just had to make this: Cheesy Macaroni Soup (with Squash Blossoms).

Ingredients:

• macaroni (around three handfuls)
• squash blossoms (around 7 blossoms, sliced thinly, with the stalks removed)
• cheese (i used what was available: pizza plus pack {mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan} and additional cheddar (block) and some more parmesan)
• salt, pepper, ground nutmeg (just a dash)
• diced bell pepper
• milk (one cup evaporated milk) - you can use cream if that's what you have
• tofu (prepared with tofu, salt and pepper, then fried), and spring onion - both optional

Procedure:

• Place water on pot, then once it's boiling dump in the macaroni. After about 5-8 minutes add in the sliced squash blossoms and diced bell pepper. Stir.
• Wait for around three minutes then add the milk, and cheese (as much as you want! lol). Let simmer for 4 minutes, then add salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg.
• Keep stirring every now and then, until you're satisfied with the taste and consistency.
• Once satisfied, remove from heat.
• Best served hot, with the sliced fried tofu, spring onion, and additional parmesan cheese on top.

I actually made this late one night, at home, while the family and I were watching a movie: Brave (2012 film picture by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures...or so that's what I read.). The hot soup and the awesome animation was a perfect combination! :P

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Food Friday

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

Ms. Winnie, with her Honey-Dough Filled Rolled Cookies post, on her blog Something Sweet.

I wish I can have one of those cookies right now...am sure it would be perfect not only with coffee but with any other drink (or all by itself)! Browsing through Ms. Winnie's food blog always reminds me of home since there was a time when my parents put up a small bakeshop and us kids would bake cakes and cookies for our own consumption! If you love baking as much as Ms. Winnie does, then do check out her site!

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Since my son and I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately, I decided to make something soupy with what I have available ... decided to call this: Whatever Is Available Soup. :D

Ingredients:
meat (i used pork shoulder, which I cooked until tender, in water, salt, pepper, crushed ginger, garlic, onion, and Italian Seasoning for around an hour)
corn kernels, green beans, mung bean sprouts, chili
salt, pepper, sesame oil, hard-boiled egg
instant noodles

Procedure
Cook meat. Once tender, add the corn kernels. Simmer for around ten more minutes. Throw in the green beans. Adjust seasoning. Turn off heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the plate and add in the noodles, placing the other ingredients (meat, mung bean sprouts, green beans, chili, hard-boiled egg, and corn kernels) on top. Ladle in the soup. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and maybe some chili flakes.
You may opt to add more broth than what I have shown, since the noodles tend to absorb some of it.
Enjoy!

I omitted the chili for my son (he's not a chili fan, lol). We both had fun slurping our food and even went for seconds! :D

I think this would have been much better if I added something leafy...but I didn't have any available. Maybe next time...we're still on the road to recovery, so most probably I will be making something similar again this weekend. :)

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! :)

ps. am using a new script for the widget...if it seems odd on your end, then do leave me a comment so that I can fix it -> meaning, revert back to the old widget script. lol. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it will work! :)

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Food Friday

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

Ms. Fallenrhainnes who blogs over at eXtraordinary Journey with her blog post: Care to Join Me For Breakfast?

Now that's a meal that I absolutely LOVE! Taste is such a personal thing (I know, I think I've said that often enough. lol) and I just love the combination here: eggs, dried salted fish, some leftover adobo, rice, fruit, and of course, the spicy coconut vinegar {with calamansi/calamondin} dip! Am definite that after such a hearty breakfas, I'd go burrrrrrppp! A personal blog filled with her adventures, you'll surely find something that will interest you...so go ahead and check her out!

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Simple Egg Noodles with Meatballs and Bok Choy/Pechay...my post for this week.

ingredients:

• mami noodles (egg noodles)
• bok choy (pechay)
• meat balls (mix everything: ground pork, salt, pepper, mixed herbs {thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil, oregano, and sage}, spanish paprika, soy sauce, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs (not too fine; toasted some day old sliced bread, then crushed them myself), and few drops of milk).
• fish sauce and sesame oil

egg noodles

procedure:

• i cooked the noodles first (followed the instruction written on the package), then set them aside.
• had a few cups of water boiling, then dropped the meatballs gradually.
• added the cooked noodles to the pot with the meatballs.
• sliced the bok choy then dumped them into the pot together with the other ingredients. adjusted the taste (couldn't help adding fish sauce).
• the bok choy didn't take long to ocok...just around 4-5mins. in the simmering liquid. drizzled sesame oil.
• served hot.

Had that as a snack...while I was watching television, and it was raining outside. :)

Reminder: Please don't forget to link back (a simple text would be great, or you may use the buttons provided here). Also, please visit the other party-goers and leave some commentluv to let them know that you dropped by. Many thanks! <3

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Food Friday

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

Mr. Jay who blogs over at More Than I Can Chew, with his post:
@ Red Ribbon Bakeshop (Chocolate Fudge Cake)

I love chocolate cakes and this Chocolate Fudge Cake positively had me drooling! Just look at that generous amount of frosting, and also that super cute cake topper! But really, what I like about Jay's blog is that he not only blogs about food, but also about some causes which he believes in. Quite admirable. He has also posted some of the badges on to this homepage, so if you want to know what those are (as well as the yummy food and food-related experiences he's had) then I suggest you drop him a visit. If you're of the same mind, then you'd like his blog, too!

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My food post for today is something that just warms my heart...though I revised it (A LOT, lol): Meatballs and Eggplants in Misua Noodles

My mother used to cook misua with sardines when I was young. It sometimes served as our afternoon snack during weekends, together with some neighborhood kids who'd come over and play. Her recipe was simple enough: saute some garlic and onions in vegetable oil, add canned sardines, then add about a cup and a half of water; once it's boiling add in the misua noodles. Snack would be ready within ten minutes!

Mine's a variation of her recipe....
well, I'd like to think so. :i

Ingredients:

• ground pork (made into meatballs, mixed with spanish paprika, salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic, egg, and onion)
• eggplant (sliced thinly) and chili (both pan-grilled)
• onion, garlic, and tomatoes (all diced)
• water, pepper, salt
• canola oil (around a tablespoon for sauteeing)
• misua noodles

Procedure:

• Saute the diced onion, garlic and tomatoes briefly then set aside.
• Add the meatballs one by one till cooked.
• Add water then let boil.
• You may opt to add salt (or fish sauce) at this point. Your choice.
• Once boiling, add the misua noodles; it'll be done in two minutes, or less.
• The eggplants and chili can be added once the soup is transferred to a bowl.

*adding chili is always optional.

I didn't have this as a snack, though. It was dinner. ^_^

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