Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

In the Philippines, sweet spaghetti also known as Filipino Style Spaghetti is the favorite pasta dish among kids. Here in the US, it’s Macaroni and Cheese. It is an old American favorite which is now included in almost all restaurants’ kids menu. Its popularity really took off after Kraft introduced a boxed version in the 1930s. This became so popular that many prefer the packaged version more than homemade. Well, I still think homemade is best.

There are primarily two ways to make mac and cheese. The traditional Southern method includes mixing milk or cream and grated cheese right into the hot pasta then eaten as is or baked in a casserole dish. The other popular method is to make a roux (flour and butter), then add milk or cream or even stock to make a thick sauce. Then grated cheese is stirred into the sauce until it melts and the mixture is combined with cooked pasta. My daughters prefer the unbaked Southern version with a hint of sweetness from the addition of condensed milk. It has become their favorite pasta dish next to Filipino-style spaghetti. They love it so much that I have to cook it every week!

This recipe is so simple and very easy to prepare. Try it…and see for yourself that there's a better version than the boxed one!

* I shared this on Mac and Cheese Quest, What's Cooking Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, What's on the Menu Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday and It's a Keeper Thursday.

Btw, the Online Bake Sale for Japan will go live today at The Tomato Tart. 90 foodies from 8 countries donated their homemade goodies for this event. Please be generous! Bid on any of the delectable goodies and help us raise money for Japan.

Prep Time: 5 minutes                   Cook Time: ~12 minutes                   Servings: 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1 ½ cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 2 Tbsp condensed milk
• ½ cup mild finely shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup beef franks, cut lengthwise then bias-sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bratwurst and Vegetables in Oyster Sauce

Bratwurst, which is a sausage usually composed of pork, veal or beef, has become my husband's favorite since we got here in the US. We usually eat it grilled with rice or bread and soup, and sometimes with vegetable salad and soup. But yesterday, I thought of cooking it differently. I stir-fried it with potatoes, bell pepper and onions...and added soy sauce and oyster sauce to give it a hint of Asian flavor. 

Check out the recipe. I'm sure you'll like it...so simple and easy to cook!

* I shared this on Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Delectable Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays At The Table, Tasty Tuesdays and Made From Scratch Tuesday.

Prep Time: 15 mins          Cook Time: ~15 mins           Servings: 4-6                              

Ingredients:

• 8 pcs. bratwurst, bias-sliced into ½ inch thick (You can slice it while still a little bit frozen, or you can cook it first accdg. to package "skillet preparation" directions before slicing. I prefer cooking it first.)
• ½ cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• ½ cup green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 yellow onion, cut into rings
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, each cut into 8 pcs.
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chives
• Salt

 

Seafood Linguine With Olive Oil and Tomatoes

I was blog hopping yesterday when I stumbled on a blog (A Latte' with OTT, A) hosting an "Iron Chef Challenge" where the themed ingredient for this month is canned tomatoes. It was a coincidence that I planned cooking an original recipe of mine which I call Seafood Linguine with Olive Oil and Tomatoes for dinner. (Yeah, non-Filipino recipe it is! I don't just cook Filipino food, you know. I like trying out recipes from other countries, but most of the time I adjust the ingredients to suit my Filipino taste buds.) Suddenly, I felt I'm up for the challenge. But I was supposed to use fresh tomatoes for this just as I always do, but since canned tomatoes is what the Iron Chef Challenge requires, of course, I substituted! :)

This linguine dish of mine is something seafood lovers like me will love. It's a very flexible dish  so you can use any seafood you want. I usually use shrimps, squid, and mussels. But I've already tried it with clams, scallops and fish fillet. It always turns out so scrumptious regardless of what seafood I use.

It's meatless Friday again here in Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner so let me share with you  this recipe. I'll also link this up to The Iron Chef Challenge and see what happens. Check it out and let me know what you think!

I'm also sharing this on Simple Lives Thurday, Fat Camp Friday, and  Feed Me Friday.

Prep Time: 15 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 4                             

Ingredients:

• 1 lb linguine
• 8 pcs medium-sized squid - cleaned, innards removed and cut into rings
• 12 pcs. shrimps, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
• 12 pcs. mussels, cooked and shells removed
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 head garlic, minced
• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp celery salt
• ½  tsp blackpepper
• ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese for topping
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp salt for cooking pasta 
• whole fresh parsley leaves for garnishing

Online Bake Sale for Japan: Let Us Raise Some Dough!

The tragedy in Japan is truly a worldwide concern. First is the earthquake, followed by the tsunami and then the nuclear crisis. My heart goes out to the people of Japan who are going through so much right now. I've been trying to find the best way to help. There are a a lot of  established, reliable organizations that are accepting donations for Japan like the Red Cross, Unicef, The Salvation Army, Save The Children Federation and the US Mercy Corps...but I want to do something more. I've always believed that (in all circumstances) aside from financial contribution, there's no better way to help than sharing whatever God-given talent you have. I'm sure that God has led me to the food blogging community to share my talent in cooking, and now is the perfect time to do it for a meaningful cause. A fellow food blogger, Sabrina Modelle of The Tomato Tart is organizing an online bake sale which will be held, auction style, on her website on March 30. Bidding on baked goods and other sweets pledged by participating foodies will go live for one day, but preview of all the items will be up by the 28th. Participating foodies will mail each item to the highest bidder by April 11.

All proceeds will go to Second Harvest Japan, a food bank in Japan that is responding to the crisis in a direct and very meaningful way, that is, by feeding people who are in need. I'm proud to say that Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner is taking part in the said bake sale and will be donating Food for the Gods for the auction. This is a favorite holiday cake in the Philippines that can bring delight to anyone eating it.  I want to bring delight to the people of Japan in my own little way, hence I thought of sharing my Food For the Gods. :)  If you are interested with the recipe, click here. I'll be contributing these 3 boxes of Food for the Gods, with 12 bars in each box. If the winning bidder will be in the DFW(Dallas-Fort Worth area), and I can personally deliver it, I'll make it 24 bars for each box. :)

I want to invite all of you out there to join us in this effort to help Japan. You don’t have to be a food blogger to participate. You can either bid on an item or donate your baked goodies. Or you might want to involve your organization by offering a corporate sponsorship, or matching any portion of the proceeds. Contact Sabrina at . Tell her you want to help and she’ll send you the details.

Japan is known for its people's strength and spirit...but in times like this, getting back on their feet will be difficult. They need us! Let us all open our hearts...and together, let us help Japan! A little effort combined together can go a long way...

Filipino Food for the Gods

When I was working at China Bank, I've been to a lot of provinces, doing branch software installations and network configurations. Bacolod is one of those provinces I visited, and it is where I first experienced the heavenly taste of Food for the Gods(FftG). I was buying "pasalubong" (a present given by someone arriving from a trip) at Virgie's Homemade Products and the owner said Butterscotch and FftG were among their bestsellers. So I bought a few packs of both and oh my, I ate all the FftG even before my colleagues and I boarded the plane. Since then, FftG became my favorite. 

Filipino FftG is basically dates and walnut bar. I'm not really sure why this was named FftG...some say it's because the main ingredients: dates and walnuts are not easily available in the Philippines and hence, very expensive and only the rich can afford it. Some say it's because FftG is heavenly delicious, which I agree. :) Oh well,  what I know for sure is:  this is a really, really delightful treat that's so easy and quick to make; no special equipment needed.  

Food for the Gods is a favorite treat among Filipinos especially during the holidays.  It is a very good gift during Valentine's Day and Christmas. Baked with a delightful blend of dates, walnuts, molasses, and honey (plus pecans in my recipe), these bars are very delicious and addictive. I've been baking FftG for more than 10 years now, but I never get tired of it.

You should try it. It’s simple to make...and will give your kitchen a very pleasing aroma that gives you a reason to bake more. :)

* I shared this on Mangia Mondays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, What's on the Menu Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday and Sweet Tooth Friday.

And I'll be donating Food for the Gods to the Online Bake Sale for Japan hosted by The Tomato Tart of Sabrina Modelle. Please support me and other fellow foodies in this cause!

Now, here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar (I always use Sugar In The Raw for my Food for the Gods. It's healthier and has richer taste.)
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup pitted dried dates, chopped

For Toppings: (optional) - I just want my Food for the Gods to be really chunky.

• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp chopped pecans

Pandesal

I still have a hangover from last week's spring break and Cherlin is a little sick (so she wants mommy by her side), hence I'm quite late for my post today...but better late than never, right?! Besides, I'm sure you'll love my recipe for today regardless of the time I post it. :) I made pandesal again last week, and they turned out really good! So I know it's time to share it with you...

Pandesal (Pan de Sal) which means salt bread in Spanish is a famous roll in the Philippines. It is usually eaten during breakfast to accompany a morning cup of coffee, but it is good for snacks too. It is made of flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, and salt. It is the most popular yeast-raised bread in the Philippines which can be eaten plain or with “palaman”(filling) like butter (or margarine), fruit jams, and peanut butter or anything your taste buds want. I love it with corned beef, sardines, scrambled eggs and Viena sausage.

In the Philippines, pandesal is sold everywhere: bakeries, market, grocery stores, and convenience stores…but here in Texas, you can rarely find it…so the only way to enjoy it is to bake it from scratch. I tried it twice already, and it came out good. I even put filling in some of my pandesal dough so I wouldn't have to slice it after baking. Yummy indeed!

It’s a little time consuming to prepare like siopao, but it’s worth it!

* I shared this on Let's Break Bread Together , Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Delectable Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays At The Table, Made From Scratch Tuesday and What's On The Menu Wednesday.

Yield 28 pcs.

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope active dry yeast (0.25 oz)
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar (for activating the yeast)
• 4 cups bread flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ¾ cup bread crumbs
• about ¾ cup all purpose flour for dusting

Ginataang Tilapia

It’s meatless Friday again here in Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner! Today, I’ll share with you a dish called Ginataang Tilapia (Tilapia in Coconut Milk). 

In the Philippines, ginataan is what you call anything cooked with gata or coconut milk. I've featured a ginataan recipe before which is Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw (Squash and String Beans in Coconut Milk). Just like that vegetable dish, ginataang tilapia is a sure hit to both kids and adults in the Philippines. The creamy coconut milk and the flavors of all the ingredients combined together make this dish so appealing to anyone's taste buds! Plus it's very easy to prepare and cook! Give it a try!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                   Cook Time: ~30 minutes                   Servings: 4-6 

* I shared this on Simple Lives Thurday, Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home Friday, and  Friday Potluck@EKat's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Tilapia, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
• 1 can coconut cream
• 6 heads pechay (Bok Choi) , washed and trimmed
• 1 large eggplant, sliced diagonally
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 1 small luyang dilaw(turmeric), julienned (to give the ginataan a slight yellow color)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium- sized onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• ½ tsp peppercorns
• 2 Jalapeño pepper or banana pepper
• ¼ cup water
• Salt to taste

Yummylicious Ice Candy

Ice candy is one of the most favorite summer treats of Filipinos. It is frozen juice(or smoothie) in a plastic like pop ice. The only difference is that ice candy is home made from fresh fruits, though there are some that you can buy from sari-sari (variety) stores that are made from artificial fruit flavoring. 

In the Philippines, ice candies come in different flavors. Most common are orange, mango, buko (coconut), avocado, melon, grape and chocolate. They are in these little plastic bags, the end of which you nibble on to sip or bite the frozen fruit juice.

My mother used to supply ice candy to our school cafeteria since I was in grade school until I was in high school. So yes, I grew up enjoying ice candy all year round. I don’t remember any time when our freezer didn’t have ice candy. And after I graduated from college, my parents started their sari-sari store in Batangas. There they sold ice candy the whole year…the flavor depends on what fruits are in season.

Yesterday while I was cleaning our pantry, my daughters saw the ice candy plastic bags that my mother-in-law sent us last year…and came after that was their request that I make ice candy. We always have fruits in our refrigerator, so there’s really no way I could say no. 

To make ice candy, you will need ice candy bags (which I haven’t seen in Oriental stores here in Texas so ours came directly from the Philippines), funnel, a blender if you want it smooth in texture, and fresh fruits or juices, depending on the flavor you wish to make. Yesterday, I made avocado, strawberry and chocolate.

Ice candy is a frozen delight that my daughters enjoy a lot! Ryan & I love it too! Such a wonderful treat for the whole family!

Yield 16-18 pcs for each flavor

* I shared this on Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday,  It's a Keeper Thursday and Sweeet Tooth Friday.

Ingredients:

Avocado

• 1 cup avocado (3 ripe avocados)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose cream
• 2 ½ cups fresh milk

Strawberry

• 10-12 pcs. strawberries
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose cream
• 2 ½ cups fresh milk

Chocolate

• ½ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose cream
• 3 cups fresh milk
• ½ cup condensed milk

Batangas Lomi on Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner's 2nd Monthsary

Time flies fast indeed! It's March 14 today..and it has been 2 months since I started Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner.  Being a Foodbuzz and Foodie Blogroll publisher...with 184 Foodbuzz friends, 139 Facebook fans, 53 Google connect followers, 51 RSS feed readers, 52 Twitter followers and 39 BlogFrog followers, I feel that I have gone beyond my expectations in the past 2 months of blogging! My google analytics stats also improved during the second month!

And yeah, I'm truly happy for that...that's why even though I still feel so exhausted from our 2-day Austin trip, and it's quite late for my regular post schedule, I just can't let this day pass by without writing this to thank all of you for the support in the past two months! I want to thank you all for visiting and helping Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner become a place where I can share my love of cooking. Without all of you, I won't have any reason to be here. Thank you for reading and commenting to let me know that there are people who truly appreciate what I'm doing. 2 months gone and ready for the third month.  All I wish is that you stay with me in my blogging journey.

To celebrate Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner's 2nd month, I'll be sharing with you another noodle recipe today --- the Batangas Lomi, with wishes for more wonderful months and years of recipe blogging! :)

So what's Batangas lomi. Lomi is a noodle dish of Chinese origin that is made with thick fresh egg noodles of about a quarter of an inch in diameter and topped with kikiam (que-kiam - a Chinese roll made with ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets then deep-fried until golden) and meatballs. It is a popular comfort food in the province of Batangas.  Almost all the cities and towns of Batangas have lomi houses. Among the famous that I've tried are The Three Kids Lomi House and the Lomi King in Lipa City, and Lomian sa Baryo in Ibaan. 

If Batangas is known for the Batangueños' favorite expression “Ala eh!” and the so called Batangas Coffee or "Kapeng Barako", it is also popular for the noodle dish LOMI. Taking a trip around Batangas, this is the last thing that travelers would want to miss. But you don't need to go to Batangas to have a taste of lomi. This recipe will let you enjoy lomi in the comfort of your home. Check it out!

Prep Time: ~20 minutes                   Cook Time: ~25 minutes                   Servings: 4-6 

* I shared this on Melt in Your Mouth Monday, World Food Thursday, and Hearth and Soul Hop.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pork strips, boiled
• ½ cup pork liver
• ½ cup kikiam
• ¼ cup garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, thinly sliced
• 7 cups pork or chicken stock
• 1 lb lomi noodle (Since it is not available here, I used Udon noodles)
• 5 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

   For Toppings:

• ½ cup kikiam (que-kiam)
• 12-15 pcs meatballs
• Toasted garlic

Seafood Kare-Kare

As some of you already know, I’m a Filipina. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and like most people there, I’m a Catholic. I grew up observing Catholic traditions like abstaining from meat and all food made from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. This is done as an act of repentance and renewal. You might be asking why abstinence is set on Friday. Friday is believed to be the day that Jesus died, so Catholics abstain from eating meat (flesh) on Fridays during Lent out of respect for Jesus who gave up his own flesh to pay the price of humanity’s sins.

Lent has started last Wednesday…and today and all the Fridays during this Lenten season, I’ll be posting seafood recipes to help my readers who are having trouble thinking what meat-free dish to cook for Friday. :)

For this first Friday of Lent, I will share with you my version of Seafood Kare-Kare. Kare-kare is an authentic Filipino dish with a sauce flavored and thickened with ground roasted peanuts and toasted rice flour. When I was growing up, my parents usually cooked the ox tail, tripe, beef or pork leg version of kare-kare. When I was in college, I was invited by a friend to have lunch with her family at Barrio Fiesta. That’s the first time I was able to eat seafood kare-kare…and gosh, I fell in love with it the very instance I tasted it. Since then, I prefer the seafood version much more than the meat one. Aside from the fact that I love seafood, this version of kare-kare cooks a lot quicker! 

Prep Time: 15 minutes                   Cook Time: ~30 minutes                   Servings: 8-10 

* I shared this on Simple Lives Thurday, Friday Potluck@EKat's Kitchen and Feed Me Tweet Me Follow Me Home Friday.

Ingredients:

• 4 tilapia fillet, cut into serving pieces and sprinkled with salt
• 6 pcs. medium-sized pusit (squid), cut into serving pieces
• 4 pcs crab, cut in half
• 12 pcs shrimps, trimmed
• 12 pcs tahong (mussels) - I used boxed blanched mussels
• 2 medium-sized eggplant, sliced diagonally
• 3 bundles pechay, trimmed
• 12 pcs sitaw (string beans), cut into 2-inch length
• ½ head garlic, minced
• 1 medium- sized onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup finely ground peanuts (I used my electric chopper to grind the peanuts)
• ½ cup finely ground toasted rice (I used my coffee bean grinder for this)
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp Annatto powder diluted in 4 Tbsp water
• 2 cups crab broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil (for frying)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (for sautéing)
• ginisang bagoong alamang (sauteed shrimp paste) & lemon - (optional)

Ube Buchi

Buchi or butsi is a sesame seed covered pastry made from glutinous rice flour with bean paste filling. It is another favorite Filipino dessert which is an adaptation of the Chinese Jin Deui.

We all love buchi…and yesterday, I tried making buchi for the first time. Instead of the commonly used red bean paste, I used ube (purple yam) paste for the filling. I was able to make 20 pieces of buchi…and now, they’re all gone!

Such a delectable treat that is crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside! It’s really worth a try!

Prep Time: ~45 minutes*                Cook Time: ~5 minutes                    Yield 20 pcs. 
*including cooking the filling

* I shared this on Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday,  It's a Keeper Thursday and Sweeet Tooth Friday.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 3 ¼ cups glutinous rice flour
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup sesame seeds
• 2 cups cooking oil

Filling:

• 1 cup haleyang ube (purple yam jam)

or

• ¾ cup frozen grated ube
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup sugar

Corn and Spinach Soup

I grew up in the Philippines where corn is a staple food of about 20% of the country’s population. Whenever it was corn season in our province, our dining table always had corn on it: steamed, boiled or grilled corn on the cob (nilaga or inihaw na mais) and boiled whole kernel corn with coconut (binatog) for snack, buttered whole kernel corn as side dish for grilled chicken or pork, whole kernel corn as part of a soup dish and baby corn as part of our favorite vegetable dish called chopsuey.

Corn and malunggay (moringa or sajina) soup was my mother’s favorite. She used to cook it so often that it became my favorite too. I was missing it last Friday…but I didn’t have malunggay. I wanted it so badly that’s why I thought of just using what’s available, which at that time was spinach. I know that spinach and malunggay taste different, but the flavors of corn and spinach really work well together. I cooked this soup just like how my mother used to cook her corn and malunggay soup. I just substituted malunggay with spinach…and it came out really good! Check it out! 

* I shared this on Melt in Your Mouth Monday and Hearth and Soul Hop.

Prep Time: 10 minutes                   Cook Time: ~25 minutes                    Servings: 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole kernel corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup pork strips or ground pork
• 1/8 cup garlic, minced
• ½ cup onions, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 4 cups water (or stock if available)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pinoy breakfast

One of the traditional breakfast food of Filipinos consist of rice, egg and fried dried fish or squid. Today, we had fried dried squid and anchovies with tomatoes, egg strips and garlic fried rice for breakfast! Dried seafood may have that distinctive smell…but once eaten, it's heaven! Choosing between muffins, bagel, donut, pancakes, ham, spam, sausage and dried seafood? I'll definitely go for dried seafood! Ohhh sooo yummy!

Want to try it??? Just visit any Oriental store near you, and there you'll find a wide variety of dried seafood! Just be sure to fry it outside so your house won't smell! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!! :-*

Pininyahang Manok

Piniyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken) is another dish that Filipinos love. It is basically chicken marinated in pineapple juice then cooked with pineapple chunks. There are different versions of pininyahang manok. The main difference is the kind of milk used for the sauce. This is commonly cooked with coconut milk but there are some who use fresh or evaporated milk. I prefer using evaporated milk. This for me blends better with the taste of pineapple. There are also some who cook this dish with tomatoes. I don’t. Tomatoes for me overpower the taste of pineapple which is supposed to be the main flavoring agent for this dish.

This is one chicken dish my family loves so much. I guess the tender pieces of chicken and the sweet and mildly sour pineapple chunks in a creamy sauce make this dish irresistible! See for yourself!

* I shared this recipe on Friday Potluck @ EKat's Kitchen, Fresh Bites' Friday, and Foodie Fridays Bloghop 3.

Prep Time: 40 minutes                   Cook Time: ~40 minutes                    Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 16-oz. can pineapple chunks or 1 ½ cup fresh pineapple
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, minced or julienned
• 2 medium-sized carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-cm thick
• 2 large potatoes, each cut into 8 pcs.
• ½ red and ½ green bell pepper, sliced into rectangles
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Cassava Cake

Cassava cake is another all-time favorite dessert in the Philippines. It is made from grated cassava which Filipinos call kamoteng kahoy or balanghoy. Desserts made from cassava are very popular because cassava is easily grown anywhere in the country. 

This is another kakanin (Filipino native sweet delicacies) that is so perfect for special occasions and even for regular snack or dessert. It is so easy to make ---just mix all the ingredients and put it in the oven! The only hard part is waiting for it to bake! :)  

Cassava cake is so popular that there are a lot of different versions available. Check out mine!

* I shared this on Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, and Sweet Tooth Friday.

Prep Time: 10 minutes         Cook Time: ~1 hour and 20 minutes          Servings: 12-15 

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 packs grated cassava (1 lb each)
• 1½  *14-oz can condensed milk
• 1 *14-oz. can coconut cream
• 1 *12-oz. can evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar (If you want it sweeter, you can double the amount of sugar)

Toppings:

• ½ can condensed milk
• 1 egg

Filipino Style Spaghetti

One food that brings wonderful childhood memories to me is the Filipino Style Spaghetti...

I spent my elementary and high school years at Holy Infant Academy(HIA), a private school in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro where there is this yearly celebration called feast day. It is when we celebrate the feast of a patron saint assigned to each grade level. This means no class…just whole day of fun and play! Since we celebrate it outside the campus, we had to bring lunch with us. I can still remember that I had Filipino-Style Spaghetti and fried chicken drumsticks every feast day since 1st grade to 4th year high school. It’s like I was having a grand meal every time there’s spaghetti and fried chicken...and HIA feast days won't be complete without it! I just love that combination! I guess every Filipino kid does!

So what’s in Filipino Style Spaghetti that kids love? Non-Filipino friends who have tasted this all said it tastes weird but is really good. Unlike Italian spaghetti which is full of spices and tomato sauce, Filipino spaghetti is sweet and it has hot dogs or Vienna sausage in addition to ground meat. No wonder Filipino kids love it! I can’t recall any Filipino kid’s birthday celebration without spaghetti on the table. But don’t get me wrong, Filipino-style spaghetti isn’t just for kids! Even Filipino adults love it…and I’m sure you will! 

Here's my version of Filipino Style Spaghetti. Check it out! 

Prep Time: 10 minutes         Cook Time: ~45 minutes          Servings: 10-12                   

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs spaghetti
• 1 lb ground beef or pork
• 6 pc. beef franks or Filipino red hotdogs, bias-sliced into 1/4" thick
• 2 cans Del Monte or Hunt’s Spaghetti Sauce (26.5oz each) - I prefer using Meat or Garlic Flavor or a combination of both
• 1 cup Filipino Banana Catsup
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 oz) - I prefer using Hunt's Tomato Sauce with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
• 1 beef cube
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• 1 head garlic, minced
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8-10 quarts water (for cooking pasta)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil or butter for sautéing
• Some more parmesan or cheddar cheese for topping

My 1st Blogging Award!!!

Just a while ago, I received a note from a fellow food blogger that she is passing on the Stylish Food Award to me! I am so honored! I am overjoyed to received my first award! I must admit that when I started Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner last January 14, I didn't know where I was heading. All I wanted that time was to be able to share my recipes. The past 47 days of blogging has truly been a wonderful journey for me! Each day, I learn new things that will help me improve not only as a cook but also as a blogger. And for this first award, I will forever be thankful to Saraworldcook of Homestyle Cooking Around The World! Thanks for choosing me and letting me know that someone truly appreciates what I'm doing! :)

If you haven't visited her blog, be sure to check it out! She has a wide variety of recipes that you'll surely love. My favorite is her Bacalaitos (Codfish Fritters)...I'm sure you'll love it too!

Following the rules of the award, I have to:

1.  Make a post about the award, thank the person/s who gave the award and put a link back to the person/s site.

2.  Share 7 things about myself.

3.  Pass the award to 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

4.  Contact these bloggers and personally tell them about the award.

7 Random things about me a.ka. PinayInTexas

1. I'm originally from the Philippines so I'm a Filipina (Pinay). It was in Nov. 2004 when I relocated here in Texas with my husband and eldest daughter.

2. I have a Christmas birthday…quite hated it when I was a kid for the main reason that I never got the chance to enjoy having separate Christmas and birthday gifts.

3. I’m a Registered Electrical Engineer (REE) in the Philippines - never practiced it though! I was an instructor for a year at UST Electrical Engineering Department…and Differential Equations, DC/AC Circuit Analysis, Electric Machinery and Electrical Shop Practice are the subjects that I handled. The next 6 six years of my career was spent as a Network and Datacom Engr. at China Banking Corporation. Then after that, my life as a full-time wife & mom started. :)

4. Perfume is one thing I can’t live without! Lacoste Pour Femme, Estee Lauder’s Pleasures and D&G Light Blue are among my faves.

5.I have RH- blood type and I'm among those 3% of the general population who have mitral valve prolapse.

6.I love cooking and I enjoy trying new recipes. Japanese food is my second favorite next to Filipino food! How I wish I can go to Japan for a taste of authentic Japanese food!

7. I've worked for 7 years...but it’s in the past 6 years of being a full-time mom that I experienced the greatest fulfillment in my life. Professional success – I admit I like it - but the fulfillment in knowing that I've been able to watch & guide my girls well during their growing up years is something no professional success could match!

10 blogs that I have recently discovered and want to pass on the award to:

(I've been following a number of food blogs and would love to give this award to all of them. But since I can only choose 10,  I picked the ones that I really like and find really stylish and original!)

a boardinghouse reach

eizel's everything culinary 

easy recipes stunning presentations

 a frog in the cottage

Cranberry Jam

Diethood.com

Ekat's Kitchen 

The Farmer's Wife

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'

Sprinkles of Flavor

Again, I'd like to express my gratitude to Sarahworldcook for the Stylish Blogger Award, and to all the my fellow bloggers and all my friends who take the time to read my posts and leave some comments. It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy the recipes I share with you! Happy cooking and happy eating everyone! :-*