Nothing Beats Homemade Food!

Photography by Donna Samonte

Most often than not, when my family and friends ask for recipes, I always tell them to something new. I love experimenting my recipes, giving traditional food a new flavor but not losing the taste. Here's a traditional recipe with a zest.

Homemade Meatloaf

Ingredients:
6 lbs ground meat mix (beef, pork, veal or chicken and turkey)
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbs Tomato Sauce
2tbs BBQ Sauce (any kind but I prefer Bull's Eye brand)
2tbs Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Pickle Relish
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 Eggs - medium
1tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp thyme (fresh minced)
1/4 tsp sage (fresh minced)
1 cup chopped onion/shallots
Ketchup and Maple Syrup

*1/2 cup dry slice of bread soaked in milk (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven at 375'. In a bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients. Add all other remaining ingredients then mix again. Put mixture in a meatloaf pan or in a baking sheet form mixture in loaf, poke hole all over and stripe with ketchup. Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours. When done, spread maple syrup then broil for about 2 minutes.

Best serve with mashed potato, corn on the cob and your choice of veggie...

PS
For better taste result, set the mixture to stand about an hour before baking.

Dinner in 1-2-3!

Photography by Donna Samonte

We always want to have something really healthy to eat. But sometimes our schedules are just crazy to cope with everyday life. Cooking shouldn't be that hard, there's always some food that can be made as easy as 1-2-3 and yet healthy.

Pan-Broiled Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

4 pcs lamb chops about 1 1/4 lbs
3 tbs soy sauce
2 minced garlic
1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wash and pat dry lamb chops, combine all ingredients in a bowl and rub unto steaks. marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side for medium-rare (depending on thickness), or until the steaks are nicely browned on the outside but still a bit soft to the touch. (If the steaks are super thick, you may want to cook them for a few minutes on each of the short sides as well.)

Best served with potatoes, corn and veggies.

Al Salmone Cabornara

I always love pasta, but I seldom eat 'em simply because it's to heavy on the belly. Most of the time, I cook pasta with seafood and always the best choice for me is with Salmon.

Al Salmone Carbornara

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon fillet
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp lime juice

Pasta
1 large egg
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp half and half
1/2 cup tomato chunks

Directions:

Wash and pat dry fillet, rub all the ingredients and set to broil until done, usually 2-3 minutes on each side then set aside.

Cook pasta until al dente. Beat eggs, pepper and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Pour in half and half. Set aside.

Heat pan in medium with olive oil . Mix in cooked pasta and tomato chunks, when tomatoes are half way done remove from heat and immediately stir in egg mixture. Toss in broiled Salmon fillet.

Garnish with parsley.

Mother's Cooks Best

Once, I was talking to my eldest son Bien who was then 12, was on the phone and he asked a question. He asked if frozen food can be sent from the US to Manila, I answered yes, of course! He knew that my mother was about to go home in a couple of weeks then, so further asked if I can cook "Pininyahang Manok" and "Chicken Curry" freeze it to send home. The recipes are very common, I bet those who cook knows the recipe by heart. I asked my son what's the difference why he wanted my recipe, he simply....."Ma, their recipe is different!" So all being said...please let me share my simple recipe, with a difference. Originally, milk is used for "pininyahang manok" but my recipe is quite different... :)

As the saying goes, "Mother's cooks best!"

Pineappled Chicken (Pininyahang Manok)

Ingredients

2 lbs of Chicken ( breast or drumstick)
1 small can Reno Liver Spread
1 medium can Pineapple tidbits (Delmonte brand)
2 gloves of minced Garlic
1 small chopped Onions
1 tbs sliced ginger

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste, oil
1/2 cup bell pepper( red or green)

1/4 cup green peas (optional)

Preparation:

Drain pineapple tidbits and marinate chicken with pineapple syrup. Put oil in a skillet and saute ginger for 10 seconds then add garlic till golden brown and add onions When onion is silvery in color, add reno liver spread and marinated chicken (making sure syrup is added too), add water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add pineapple tidbits and season with salt and pepper according to your taste and cook for 4 minutes more. Garnish with bell pepper and green peas.