Ensaladang Gulay

This raw vegetable salad is packed with nutrients from fresh vegetables and is good for digestion.

Ingredients:
2 big tomatoes (sliced)
2 cup sliced camote tops (talpo)
1 small onion ( sliced thinly)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice
1 cucumber ( sliced)
salt to taste

camote tops

Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Serve with a smile.

Hot and Spicy Eggplant Omelette

Eggplant omelette or tortang talong is yummy specially if it is hot and spicy.

Ingredients:
1 big eggplant ( boiled and skin removed)
1 tablespoon flour
1 beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 onion (minced)
a pinch of chili powder
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine the egg, flour, ground pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper, mix well until fully combined and smooth.
2. Put the eggplant then flatten it,  coat well with the batter and fry both sides until fully cooked.
3. Sprinkle with sliced spring onion then serve.

Puto Pao

This delicious Filipino dainty  uses the batter of puto and a filling of siopao that is why it is called Puto Pao. Easier to make than siopao but the same delicious taste. I made this as simple as it can be so that all my friends can follow easily, I hope you will try this and let me know.

Ingredients for 15 big puto pao:

For the Batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup fresh milk ( add if needed) batter should be like the one in the picture
some slices of salted egg

For the Filling: You can use any meat that you like and cook it the way you want it.
1/4 kilo lean pork ( boiled and diced or shredded it's up to you)
1 teaspoon calamansi juice
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon tomato sauce
2 clovess garlic
1 small onion ( minced)
ground pepper to taste

Procedure for the filling: You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste.
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the pork and simmer for a minute
2. Add all the ingredients, simmer and stir until the flavors are well blended, turn off the heat and let cool.

Procedure for the Puto Pao
1.Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder then sift it.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the sifted ingredients and milk then mix very well until the batter is smooth in texture.

3. Fill the puto molder with the batter only 1/4 parts of it then put the filling in the middle and add more batter to cover the filling, top with salted egg.

4. Boil the water in the steamer, then steam the puto pao for 10 minutes or until done ( you know it is done when you insert a toothpick in it and the toothpick comes out clean.)

5. Let cool for few minutes, scrape the sides then unmold the puto and serve with a big smile :-).

Deviled Egg Boat

A cute appetizer that will surely capture the eyes of your guests or loved ones during family gatherings.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 can sardines in tomato sauce ( drained) - This can be replaced with tuna, meat, etc
1 tablespoon mayonaise
2 slices from loaf bread ( formed into triangles)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Cut the eggs into halves, then remove the egg yolk.
2. Mix the yolks, sardines, mayonaise, salt and pepper, then put the mixture into the hard boiled egg whites. Insert a toothpick in the bread slices then put it on the deviled eggs to serve as a sail.
3. Serve with a smile :-).

Contributed by: Mr Ron Del Rosario

How to Make a Perfect Caramel for Leche Flan

This is the Mely's kitchen way of making a perfect caramel for leche flan, I always do like this and the result is always perfect!

Either you are using the oval leche flan molder or this one with a hole in the middle, do the same procedure.

1.Put the sugar in the molder.

2. Melt over medium heat. Sometimes the other side of the burner is too hot making that side of the sugar melt quickly while the other side is still not melted, if this happen, you can change the position of the molder, to melt the sugar evenly.

3. When it is melted, it is up to you if you want it light colored remove from the heat, or if you want darker caramel, let it continue to melt until the desired color of the caramel is reached. Let cool.

light colored

dark colored

The results:

Light caramel

Dark Caramel

Note: If you will caramelized with water, just put the water and sugar together then do the same procedure.

Special Shrimp Sinigang

Shrimp Sinigang is one of the  most delicious sinigang that is popular in the Philippines, a good quality of shrimps is the best for this dish. This is another recipe shared to us by my internet friend,  Miss Gloria Resurreccion.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo Shrimps ( washed and Cleaned)
5 cups water or rice washing
1 onion, quartered
2  tomatoes, quartered
5 pieces okra
1 piece radish, sliced
1 pack sinigang mix or 1/4 kilo sampaloc boiled in 1 cup water and drained
1 bundle string beans
1 bundle swamp cabbage(kangkong), cut into 2 inches
3 cayenne pepper or siling haba
salt or fish sauce to taste

Procedures:
1. In a pot, put the water, onion and tomatoes then bring to a boil.
2. Add the radish, string beans and okra then simmer for a minute.
3. Increase the heat then add the shrimps, kangkong and siling haba,  simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add the sinigang mix and salt to taste then simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Note: You can add eggplant for this recipe

Contributed by: Miss Gloria Resurreccion

Some of the Recipes by: Miss Gloria
Tortang Talong
Tanigue Kinilaw
Fistek

Sweet Pork Adobo

I do not like sweet adobo before, but my sisters do, as time passed by I learned to appreciate it, and now it is one of my favorites.

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:
1 kilo pork  ( any part that you like)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon peppercorn ( pamintang buo)
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sugar or according to your taste
1 cup water ( add if needed)

Procedure:
1.Saute the garlic then add the pork  and saute until the pinkish color is gone.
2. Add the soy sauce and peppercorn then increase the heat making the soy sauce almost dry to enhance the color, then adjust the heat to medium and add the vinegar, cover and let simmer. Do not mix until the vinegar boils so that the texture of the meat will be nice and smooth.
3. Once boiling, add the sugar, mix well then simmer for few minutes until the pork absorbed the flavor and color.
4. Add the water and simmer until the meat is tender. If it is already tender and still has a lot of water increase the heat to make the soup evaporate making the adobo just saucy.
5. Serve it hot.

Kiddie Leche Flan

Catch the attention of your kids with this colorful and delicious leche flan that will surely catch the hearts of your young ones.

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon sugar
1 packet M&M chocolate

Procedure:
1. Put the sugar in the molder then caramelized it and let cool.

2. In a blender put the condensed milk, evaporated milk and egg yolks then blend well ( around a minute), if blender is not available just mix well manually, use a strainer and and strain and put in a molder. Steam for 45 minutes or until done. ( insert a toothpick to test if it's already cooked, when the toothpick comes out clean, it is done.)

3. Let cool then refrigerate for an hour or more, run a knife in the edges to remove easily, put a plate on top then turn it up side down to unmold.

4. Sprinkle with M&M chocolate and serve with love.

Tanigue Kinilaw

Nothing beats a very good kinilaw that's made with very fresh fish and spices, just like this version of kinilaw that shared to us by our regular contributor, Miss Gloria, she said that after eating this with her children, nothing's left, even if I was not able to taste it, I can imagine how yummy is this. The picture says it all.

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/2 kilo tanigue fresh tanigue fish ( Spanish mackerel)
thumb size garlic ( sliced into strips)
1 onion
2 tomatoes ( optional)
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 tablespoon calamansi or lemon juice
spring onion
some chilis
1/4 cup calamansi juice or vinegar to season
salt to taste
1/2 cup vinegar ( to wash the fish)


Procedure:
1. Slice the fish into cubed and wash it properly with vinegar.
2. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
3. Serve with a smile :-).

Contributed by: Miss Gloria Resurreccion

How To make Salted Eggs

Salted eggs are very easy to make, but you need to be patient for the best result, keeping the eggs longer in a brine solution gives that perfect texture and taste of the salted eggs. I used chicken eggs for this because there is no available duck eggs in my place, still the duck eggs are the best for this.

Ingredients:
6 chicken eggs
3 cups water
1 cup salt

Procedure:
1. Put the salt and water in a pot then bring to a boil, let boil until the salt is fully dissolved, turn off the heat and allow the brine to cool.
2. When the brine is already cool, transfer it in a container where you are going to keep the eggs for the process. Make sure the eggs will not float by putting a heavy object on top of it then cover.

3. Keep it in a dark  place for 30 days. After 30 days remove from the brine then cook it until it is hard boiled ( around 10 minutes). Refrigerate and use it anytime you want it.

Note: You can add food color if you want to make some for sale.

Pancit Canton with Ground Beef

My all time favorite dish, I can cook it with anything, and I can eat it anytime, that's how I love pancit specially pancit canton. I love all  kinds of pancit but the texture of pancit canton is what I liked the most.

Ingredients:
2 packs instant pancit canton ( cooked and drained) do not include the flavoring.
100 grams ground beef
1 carrot
1 onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 cup sliced cabbage
1/2 cup sliced green beans
1/2 piece red bell pepper
1/2 cup water ( add if needed)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the ground beef and simmer for a minute.
2. Add water, soy sauce, salt and pepper then bring to a boil when boiling increase the heat.
3 Add the carrot, green beans, bell pepper and cabbage and give a good stir, simmer until tender, then add the pre-cooked pancit and mix thoroughly and turn off the heat.
4.. Serve it hot.

Crab Sticks Rolls

I love crab sticks in sushi, but I love it more with this recipe that I invented, one Friday afternoon, succulent and crispy in every bite. You will surely ask for more.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
12 crab sticks
12 spring roll wrappers or if using big only 6 and cut into halves
1/4 kilo ground beef or pork
1 carrot ( minced)
1 small onion (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Crab sticks

Procedure:
1. Mix the ground meat, carrots, onion, salt and pepper, then divide into 12 portions.
2 Spread the ground meat mixture on the wrapper then top the crab sticks, wrap well and sealed the wrapper with water or beaten egg.

3. Deep fry until golden brown and put in a paper towel to remove excess oil.
4 Slice and serve it hot.

How to Make Banana Ice Cream

You will be surprised with this dessert, very simple to make and bingo! It tastes like soft ice cream, believe it or not this is really fantastic and the ingredient is only BANANA, yes! BANANA alone is what we need for this dessert. Try it.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
5 ripe bananas

Procedure:
1. Peel the banana and slice into small pieces and freeze until harden or frozen.

2. Divide into 2 and blend each batch until so smooth.

3. Put in a serving dish and serve or you can use some sprinkles and chocolate syrup, etc, for more fun with the kids. Enjoy.