10 Creative Recipes Using Just An Egg

Every Sunday is a cookfest in our home.  Since the start of the year, Dennis and I have created a new tradition with our children. The men and the ladies would alternately cook breakfast every Sunday morning. This means that one some Sundays, Dens and my 8-year old son would wake up extra early on Sundays to prepare breakfast for the family. On other Sundays, my 5-year old daughter and me would do it.  Three months or 12 Sundays later, I am running out of ideas.

 

So the past week I did a little research and found a video that is just what I'm looking for. 10 ways to cook an egg! I love cooking eggs for breakfast because it's (1) nutritious, (2) almost always available at home, (3) easy to cook most of the time.

 

Check out this fun video.  Forgive the coarse language and enjoy!

 

Read more...

Super Easy 3-ingredient Pancakes!

My 4-year old daughter and I have been cooking up a storm in our kitchen the past days. That may be normal for a lot of moms but not in our household. So when I say these pancakes I am about to share with you are super easy, I am not kidding.

Ingredients:

 

1 Banana

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Nutella

Step 1: Mash the banana

Step 2: Crack open the two eggs and mix with the mashed banana

Step 3: Scoop up mixture and cook on a flat pan as you would a regular pancake

 

Step 4: Drop Nutella in random areas for that lovely hazelnut surprise

Step 5: Serve!

And that's it! My kids love it and has been asking for the Banana-Nutella pancakes since we last made it.

Go ahead and try it! Enjoy these healthy breakfast or snack alternative! It's so easy and fun to make, you don't need to wake up ahead of time :)
 

Read more...

Fisherfarms

A couple of months ago, a bag of frozen seafood arrived at our doorsteps. I checked out the products and reviewed the description for each.  No-trans fat, Gluten-free, All Natural...the health-junkee-wannabee within me became really excited!

First we tried the FFI Bangus Lemon Butter which i found really easy to prepare. After thawing it from the freezer, you just need to pop it inside the microwave for about 3-6 minutes and you're all set! Heat the lemon butter sauce in hot water while still inside the plastic and just pour it over the fish if you like. I prefer to serve it separately it in a bowl so that the fish won't get soggy. I was not able to take a picture but it looked exactly like the picture on the cover photo (lower-left hand side of the picture).

Next in line was the FFI Gourmet Selection Roasted Garlic Milkfish Loins. Preparing it was again easy-breezy. Just lay the fillets out on a baking dish and pop it in the oven for 4 minutes. Afterwards you turn the fillet upside down and put it back for another 4 minutes. And that's it! So perfect for dinner parties at home where you want to impress your guests and tell them you baked fish!

A few Sundays ago, our family decided at the last minute to have dinner at home so the cook was not able to prepare anything. I remembered my Fisherfarms loot and had the cook thaw the FFI Smoked Deboned Milkfish.  We just baked it in the oven for less than 10 minutes (4-6 minutes, if i'm not mistaken) and it was done. And i just want to say - it was soooo good! I love how smoked it really was. I later on found out that Fisherfarms' Milkfish were smoked using virgin beechwood chips imported from Germany. Using such chips (as opposed to regular sawdust) ensures food safety and higher quality and consistency of the smoke. Don't just take my word for it - you have to try it!

They also have Fish Nuggets which is a great alternative to Chicken Nuggets if you want to avoid all the hormones of Chickens that are not free-range. I've yet to try to Fish Franks and Sausages but i'm sure it's just as tasty!

Try it for yourself! It's such a delicious and healthy alternative for the family. Perfect for non-cooking moms like me!

To order, please call the Fisherfarms hotline at (+632) 5843318 or visit the following outlets:

Alabang Supermarket Corporation, Landmark, Metro Gaisano, Pioneer Centre, Puregold Duty Free Subic, Robinson’s, Rustan’s, Savemore, Shopwise, SM Hypermarket and Supermarket, South Supermarket, Unimart and Cash and Carry

Read more...

OMBU, A Modern Filipino Restaurant

When someone says Filipino food, images of Kare-kare, Crispy Pata and garlic rice comes to mind. In my mental picture, the dish is served on banana leaves in a traditional Filipino restaurant with lots of wood, abaca and shell interiors.  Although I must admit that even though Filipino food is usually very tasty, it’s not my cup of tea. I like to dine in restaurants with modern and clean interiors.  And I like my food to not only taste good but also look good too (think food styling and French cuisine).  This fusion of good food and modern ambiance was answered a few months ago when I got to try the newly opened OMBU Restaurant in Quezon City.

Last Wednesday, I found myself back at OMBU with the SoMoms for a session with Coach Pia. OMBU is situated at the ground floor of the new Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City. The hotel itself is beautifully designed with clean lines and modern interiors.  OMBU’s classy ambiance perfectly compliments the hotel. We were served a delicious spread of Filipino dish with a modern twist.

Here are some of my top picks during the SoMoms event.

Penne Pasta in Olive Oil and Spanish Sardines

Tinapa Croquettes

Salted Egg Tempura



Beignet with Tsokolate-eh

Their prices are reasonable. Pasta dishes range from P200+ to P300+.  I spotted a lot of other items on the menu that i will definitely be going back for like the Lambanog Cream Pasta and the Choco Lava Cake ala Mode.

Do check them out if you're in the area. Good for family gatherings or dates. The combination of good food and modern ambiance will not disappoint.

OMBU

Ground floor, Sequoia Hotel.

91-93 Mother Ignacia St. corner Timog Avenue

South Triangle, Quezon City

Manila, Philippines

Tel: (632) 441 0518

Read more...

Date Night: Yomenya Goemon, Greenbelt

Every night, Dens and i would try to spend as much time as we possibly can with the kids. We would watch movies with them, tell them Bible stories, or play whatever game they'd want to play. But come Friday, we would take time out from our busy parenting schedule and have our regular date night.  It hasn't been easy sustaining this sacred night since parenting guilt sometimes gets in the way.  We'd often end up bringing the kids along or watching a movie with them at home.

One Friday night in March, we found ourselves sans kids in Greenbelt 3. We wanted to try something new and saw this interesting Japanese Spaghetti House that replaced the old Big Buddha restaurant near the parking building.

The place looked really inviting. There were a lot of people already so getting a table was quite a challenge. The waiter asked if we were okay to sit by the bar and we thought 'sure, why not?' this is something we cannot do when the kids are around.  

I found out that the restaurant is a franchise from Shibuya in Japan. The first Yomenya Goemon opened in 1976 and has now become Japan's 2nd largest food and beverage player with as many as 2,500 branches in their homeland.

They claim to have reinvented the way we eat spaghetti. True to the Japanese cultrue, you have to eat your spaghetti using chopsticks! One thing that i found unique is that they put poached eggs on top of the pasta once served. Mixing it makes for a creamier texture to the sauce. And as with most authentic Japanese meals, they also serve miso soup prior to the main course.

The prices are quite reasonable ranging from P200+ and up. They also serve pizza and other interesting dish that are beyond ordinary. Just writing about them and looking at the pictures makes me want to go back for more!

Here's to more memorable date nights and great finds! What about you? What's your latest food find?



Read more...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I remember when I first saw my cousin letting her son play with a cooking set years ago, my immediate reaction was 'Naku, delikado yan! Boy? Cooking?' But my cousin just shrugged and said that's what her son likes.

When Troy was 3, he also developed a love for cooking. He asked my sister to buy him a cooking set - to which she did, against my reluctant will. My sister said 'Color blue naman eh' - okay, fine.  I remember thinking he should only be playing with cars, robots and action figures. Not cooking!

Two years have passed and he still loves to play chef and waiter. He loves to take orders, cook the food, and serve them. I have now come to appreciate his love for cooking.  I love how he diligently takes orders and even suggests food that are available. I love how he always asks his little sister to join in the fun and help him cook or serve the food. It has now become their favorite playtime together.

To futher encourage his love for cooking, i often engage him in some cooking/baking activities as shared here (mini pizza and fish fingers) and here (Nutella Breakfast Roll-ups). Last Saturday, we made some chocolate chip cookies.

 

Place batter/dough in a baking pan



For kids, i find it's easier to use cookie-cut pans



You may also opt to just put 1 tablespoon of batter/dough but make
sure you allow for space for the cookie to spread once baked



Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Allow 5 minutes for cookies to cool after
you take them out from the oven

Troy enjoyed the experience immensely! I'm very happy since Troy did 90% of the work by himself. It's a labor of love and it tastes good too!  It is actually baby-sister-approved. As Dawn would say 'It's soo yummy, Ahia!'

The first batch is almost done. We're doing batch #2 next week :)

Read more...

Nutella Breakfast Roll-ups

Inspired by My Shabu Shabu's post here, Troy and I did the Nutella Breakfast Roll-ups last weekend. It was very simple but oh-so-yummy! How can you go wrong with Nutella?

Ingredients:

Nutella

Banana

Sprinkles

Tortilla wrappers

Spread the nutella over the tortilla wrap and put sprinkles 

Roll the wrapper around the banana.

And viola! Instant dessert. Best served chilled.

Read more...

My Own Version of Baked Eggs & Cheese

Just like most readers of Samatha Sotto’s book, Before Ever After, I wondered how Max's Baked Eggs and Cheese tastes like each time i came across it in the story.

Several weeks ago, i stumbled upon My Mom-Friday's recipe post here and did a mental note to try that one of these days.

One Saturday, i woke up thinking what i can cook for breakfast. I thought of the usual french toast, sunny side up eggs and toasted spam...then i had an idea. I'll use the same ingredients and make my own version of the Baked Eggs and Cheese. I still had some mozzarella cheese leftover from our pizza cooking spree (see post about it here) and i almost always have parmesan and cheddar at home anyway. So i'm all set for this experiment.


Here are the ingredients i had on hand

Spam, Thyme, Eggs, Bacon, Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Cheddar cheese

Start by toasting the spam until you achieve a nice golden color.

Toast the spam on a frying pan

Place the spam evenly on the cornelle baking dish and add 3 eggs on top.  I later on realized that you can add more eggs so that your entire tray is fully covered.

Add grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese on top. Then cover the entire dish with sliced cheddar cheese.

Put the dish inside the oven and bake in medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the egg forms.

And there you have it, a very simple Baked Eggs & Cheese recipe.

Best served with toasted bread and garnished with Basil and Thyme.

This version is very easy and serves around 6. Although the 3 of us (Dens, my sister Tammy and myself) were extra hungry that morning and finished everything at one go. The good thing with this recipe was that it was easy enough for me to instantly make another one for the rest of the family. Probably only took about 15 minutes or so to prepare everything.


Try it and create your own version. For my next attempt, i will add tomato and basil. I will also add more eggs and mozzarella cheese. YUM!


Note: Did you wonder what happened to the bacon which kind of got lost along the way? Well, i wanted to mix it with the spam but i burnt it to a crisp.  Not the golden crispy kind but more like black charcoal crisp.  Oh well, my cooking skills are improving but it's not perfect. Bacons are not so healthy anyway ;P  

Read more...

My Little Junior MasterChef

Troy has developed a love for cooking ever since his misono-table experience at Kimpura last year.  My sister bought him a cooking set (against the will of his grandfather) and he likes to play chef and loves the idea of taking orders and serving food.

Recently, one of our favorite bonding activities at home is cooking. Last Monday, Troy and I prepared our first 'baby' pizza and i think it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients for 4 yummy mini pizzas

Tomato Paste
Mozzarella Cheese
Hotdogs
Whole-wheat tortilla wrappers

Here are the brands that we used

Step 1: Spread the tomato paste on the tortilla wrapper

Step 2: Place the sliced hotdogs over the tomato sauce

Step 3: Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top

Step 4: Now your pizzas are ready for baking. Pre-heat your oven to 50 degrees Fahrenheit  and bake for 10 minutes.

And we're done!

All that cooking made me thirsty!

We had another cooking stint a few weeks ago but i wasn't able to take pictures of the finish product.  It was getting late and people were getting hungry.

Here are pictures of us cooking our version of fish fingers :)

What do i put in my egg mixture, mommy?

Now let's dip the sliced fish into the egg mixture

Slimyy!

Happy Cooking, Everyone!

Read more...