Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli with Vegetables, Anchovies, etc. and the 100th Recipe Post Giveaway Winner

Tomorrow will be Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner's 6th monthsary. We are going to an out of state vacation and I might not be able to go online, so I want to take this chance to do my monthly appreciation post. (^~^)

It has been half a year since I started this recipe blog, and I must admit that there are times when I feel that I'm not doing good at it. Yes, I love to cook...and being able to share my recipes with other people gives me an amazing feeling of satisfaction. Meeting new friends even makes it more rewarding! But most of the time, I feel so bad when I find myself running out of time to reply to your comments and be a good follower to the bloggers that I'm supposed to follow. I must say that I appreciate all your comments, but as much as I want to, I really don't have enough time to email you back one by one to thank you. I am so sorry for that! But please know that you, my dear followers, mean a lot to me! I am so thankful for all your comments...and they are actually what motivates me to carry on. Knowing that there are people actually reading my blog inspires me to keep on cooking Filipino and non-Filipino dishes that I can share in this blog. Though my other tasks and responsibilities as an SAHM don't allow me to show how thankful I am to all of you, I want you to know that I really am! From the bottom of my heart, I want to  thank you all for your continuous support! You are the reason why Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner is here...and I wish that you all stay with me in this journey!

And today, as I wish for more months and years of recipe blogging, I'm sharing with you another noodle recipe. As I've said before, noodles, for us Filipinos, symbolize long life, and that's what I wish for Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner! :)

The procedure of cooking this dish is almost similar to the other noodle dishes I've shared with you like the Pancit Canton and Pancit Bihon. The difference is the kind of noodles used. With this one, I used Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli, a kind of noodles that isn't common in the Philippines. It is actually from China. It was only when we got here in the US that I first had the chance to try it. I like it in soup, and this is actually the first time I tried cooking it the way I cook Filipino pancit. Jiangxi rice vermicelli is opaque like the Filipino Bihon which is our version of rice sticks, but is thicker. Though it's vermicelli, it's not the same as the common vermicelli in the Philippines, called sotanghon which is bean thread noodles. I love the soft texture of Jiangxi rice vermicelli especially when properly cooked. If it's your first time to cook this kind of noodles, better cook it separately, according to package directions, instead of what I did. I cook it in the sauce just like how I cook Filipino Pancit. I like cooking noodles this way so the noodles could absorb all the juice from the other ingredients, unlike when just mixing it with the rest of the ingredients after cooking it separately.

Ingredients:

• 4 bundles Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes and drained
• 1 cup fish balls, quartered
• 1 cup imitation crab sticks, flaked
• 1 cup kikiam, thinly sliced (que-kiam - a Chinese roll made with ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets then deep-fried until golden)
• ¼ cup anchovies
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 15 pcs. green beans, thinly bias-sliced
• 8 heads baby bok choi, washed and trimmed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper

Vegan Family Meals Blog Tour: Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce

Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner is proud to be one of the blog tour stops for “Vegan Family Meals: Real Food For Everyone”, a new cookbook from Ann Gentry, Hollywood’s #1 Vegan Chef and owner of chic LA restaurant, Real Food Daily.

After being nominated on Babble.com's Top 100 Mommy Food Bloggers, I was contacted by Much and House Public Relations to be one of the blog tour stops for Vegan Family Meals. I must admit that I was hesitant at first, but after giving it a serious thought, I realized that even though my family is not vegan, this is a good opportunity for us to try something different. So I accepted the offer and chose to do recipe duplication of Ann Gentry's Lasagna Rolls. Lasagna has been one of my favorite pasta dishes since I was in high school but I've never tried any lasagna without meat in it. I find this the perfect time to do it. 

I've always been amazed with how vegans manage not to eat meat. Though I try my best to prepare meatless meals two to three times a week, I honestly can't imagine myself going entirely vegan. But Ann Gentry pointed out in her book introduction that  "It's not necessary to become vegan or vegetarian to enjoy the benefits of eating plant-based meals". Based from her own experiences, Ann understands what a very challenging undertaking going vegan really is, and she even admitted that she eats small amount of fish and dairy occasionally. 

After trying her  Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce recipe, I am now less intimidated with vegan cooking. It's basically the same, you are only excluding meat from your cooking which for me won't be too hard to do a couple of times a week. As Ann said, "it's well worth the effort to consume less meat and dairy even if you don't eliminate it entirely".

I personally loved the lasagna! I thought that it would be bland...but I was wrong. I loved how the Tofu Ricotta worked on it! Ryan loved it too. He said the vegetable texture made it seem like there was meat in it. I was surprised that Clarise loved the taste of Tofu Ricotta and ate one whole lasagna roll. Cherlin on the other hand, really don't like tofu so the Tofu Ricotta was a big no for her. But she adored the taste of Ann's Everyday Tomato Sauce! She requested me to cook 3 lasagna noodles for her and she ate them with just the tomato sauce. :)

I'm really glad to have tried doing this Vegan Lasagna Rolls. Though this recipe requires a lot of ingredients, the outcome is so tasty!  It gave me such a good experience with vegan food and now, I want to try more of Anne's recipes. 

If you want to know more about Ann Gentry, visit Real Food Daily,  and if you want to add some new healthy alternatives to your family's dinner table, be sure to get a copy of VEGAN FAMILY MEALS: Real Food For Everyone.

You won't be disappointed! With the very appealing photos and Ann's step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the recipes, you won't be sorry if you purchase this book. Whether you  plan to totally set your foot into the vegan world or you just want a break from the carnivore world, this cookbook will take away your worries about vegan cooking and will give you the assurance that everyone can make and enjoy this kind of food. Most recipes here requires a lot of ingredients, but don't let that intimidate you. I guess that's how vegans do it to make the dish more flavorful and replace the missing flavor of meat. Remember that in cooking, you can always omit and substitute. So if the ingredients list is too overwhelming for you, omit some of them and just use the ingredients you think will suit your taste!

Here's the Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce recipe --- one of the more than 100 recipes from this wonderful 257 page cookbook. It's definitely a must try!

Ingredients:

• 2½ Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼" pcs.
• 1 head broccoli, stems removed and florets finely chopped
• 2 cups Tofu Ricotta Cheese (recipe follows)
• 12 eggless lasagna noodles
• 3 cups Everyday Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Salmon Sandwich Spread and A Visit From The Fairy Hobmother

Are you looking for a healthy option for your kids’ breakfast or snack. If so, this one is for you.

What I'm sharing with you today is a very simple and easy recipe for salmon spread which will definitely make tasty salmon sandwiches that both kids and adults will love. It is a very easy and truly healthy option as you can avoid the unhealthy preservatives, artificial flavoring and coloring usually present from store-bought sandwich spreads. Clarise and Cherlin love this. Even if your kids aren't fish lovers, I'm pretty sure they will like this creamy sandwich spread. 

Check it out and let me know what you think...

But before that, I have a special news for all of you! Have you heard of the Appliances Online Fairy Hobmother? I just heard about it last week, and I was so thrilled when the Fairy visited Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner the other day!

Last week, I left a comment on Amy's blog, uTry.it which has also been visited by the Fairy Hobmother. The other day, the Fairy visited me here and gifted me an Amazon gift card which she said I can use to get myself something nice to celebrate both the United States and Philippines Independence Day. Isn't that awesome? I still haven't decided what to buy but I'm so thankful for the Fairy Hobmother's gift, and I want to share with you the chance of getting a special gift yourself...

The Fairy Hobmother will be back here...and you can get the chance of having her visit you and grant your wish by simply leaving a comment and making a wish on this post. You might be the next lucky person chosen! Wishes do come true, you know! 

And now here's the salmon sandwich spread recipe...Don't forget to leave a comment with your wish! :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked salmon fillet, flaked (I used olive oil fried salmon fillet)
• ½ cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ Tbsp chives
• ½ tsp season salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Have you joined my International 100th Recipe Post Giveaway??? If not, do so now...you only have until July 12 to do so!

When I was a child, I've seen my mother make fruit jam many times, that is guava, mango, banana, sweet potato, and sometimes, strawberry jam (when friends bring us strawberries from Baguio City). It was really awesome watching her turn fruits into yummy jam that I used as sandwich spread, ice cream topping or just plain dessert!

I know that for some, buying fruit jam from the store is a lot easier. But did you know that making it yourself in the comfort of your own home is very rewarding? Not only can you be sure that fresh fruits are used and there's no additives and  preservatives in your jam, you can even sweeten it according to your taste! It can also be a fun activity for you and your kids!

Just as promised, here's my recipe for the Homemade Strawberry Jam that I used for my Homemade Strawberry Jam Ice Cream. Take a look at how easy I turned these strawberries

into this delicious jam! It's really simple...check it out! 

*Yield: two 6 oz. jars

Ingredients:

• 3 cups strawberries (washed, hulled and halved)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup sugar in a raw
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice 

Homemade Strawberry Jam Ice Cream

Happy 4th to all my friends and followers here in the US!!!

Did you know that from 1946 to 1961, the Philippines used to observe its Independence Day on July 4? Yes, that's how it was because July 4, 1946 was when the Philippines received full independence from nearly 50 years of American colonial rule. But in 1962, the late President Diosdado Macapacal changed it to June 12, the date on which the Malolos Republic had declared independence from Spain in 1898. Since then, July 4th was celebrated as Filipino-American Friendship Day to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II. In 1987 however, the late President Corazon Aquino declared that July 4 will no longer be observed as a holiday with the belief that even though the US and the Philippines are friends, Filipinos don't need a holiday for it. July 4 has been an ordinary day to Filipinos since then. 

Now that we are here in the US, we have embraced 4th of July like our own Independence Day celebration. Every year since we got here, even though we aren't U.S. citizens, we celebrate 4th of July with our friends as our way of showing appreciation to the independence and freedom of this great nation that we are now.

Today, we'll celebrate it with a simple dinner with a couple of friends here at our house, and then watch the fireworks display after. I've prepared this homemade strawberry jam ice cream as part of our dessert. I've tried making homemade strawberry ice cream using fresh strawberries last week. Though Ryan & I loved the hint of sour taste in it, Clarise and Cherlin insisted that they prefer it sweeter...so I decided to use strawberry jam instead of fresh strawberries. Again, I used the same procedure as my mango ice cream. We all liked it...I hope my guests tonight will like it too. By the way, I used homemade strawberry jam! I promise to share with you the recipe within the week! 

And before I forget, you have 8 days left to join my 100th Recipe Post Giveaway. Please don't miss it! ;) 

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup homemade strawberry jam
• ¼ cup sugar (this is optional - for me, the sweetness of the strawberry jam is enough)
• Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed 
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk

Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava Wrapped in Banana Leaves) and my 100th Recipe Post GIVEAWAY

My 100th recipe post is finally here! That's actually 99 more than I thought I could share when I started  Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner! To celebrate this, and at the same time as a way of showing how much I appreciate all your support,  I'm hosting my first GIVEAWAY!!! So after checking out this recipe, drop by my 100th RECIPE POST GIVEAWAY PAGE and find out what I have for you! It's open to everyone...US and non-US residents, so all of you have the chance to join!

With all the leftover banana leaves from my Kamayan Dinner party for Foodbuzz 24x24 last week, I thought of making this popular snack in the Philippines. It's called Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava Wrapped in Banana Leaves). This is a variation of the more popular Sumang Malagkit which is steamed glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves.

Aside from the very simple process of making Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy, this "kakanin" (Filipino native sweet delicacy) is so popular to Filipinos because of the abundance of kamoteng kahoy in the Philippines.  Also known as yucca, cassava or manioc, kamoteng kahoy is the third largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world. Here in the US, you can buy it fresh or frozen. Though I prefer to buy it fresh whenever I find some at the Asian store, I always have the frozen one in the freezer for emergency use. It's my first time to make suman, so I decided to just use my remaining 1 pack of frozen cassava just so I could see the outcome.

Ryan was so glad to find these suman waiting for him when he got home from work the other day. He said they're perfect! How I wish I had more cassava so I could have made more. It's gone in minutes! But I'm happy because I was successful even though it was my first time! I'll be making this again soon!!!

Here's the recipe...you should try it!

*Yield: 12 pcs.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. frozen cassava (approx. 1½ cups after draining)
• 16 oz. frozen shredded young coconut (approx. 1 cup after draining)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• banana leaves cut into 10x6 inch rectangles (12 pcs)