Chicken Noodle Soup

It's Sunday and was supposed to be my first day of work in a week. But then I decided to just stay at home since I am not feeling very well. My husband took a day-off as well because he has severe back pain. After visiting our doctors this morning we passed-by in a newly open Chinese grocery near our flat. I was so happy to find tofu, dried mushrooms and different kinds of noodles as well. We bought a pack of tofu, and a kilo of noodles. On our way home I ask my husband to buy some veggies because I will be cooking chicken noodle soup. So, I guess this marks that we are officially sick.

I remember when I was kid, my Mom usually cooked noodles for me. She said it will help me get better. I don’t specifically know the reason behind, well aside from it will keep me warm.

It was my first time to cook Chicken Noodle Soup, or we Pinoys usually call it chicken mami. I am not even sure if I did the right thing. Thus it tasted very good though.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Kg Noodles
• 1/2 Kg Chicken Breast _ boiled & shredded
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 cup garlic minced
• 2 medium carrots - thinly sliced
• 2 cups of cabbage - chopped
• 1 cup tofu cut into small cubes - fried
• Sliced boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoon celery
• oil
• salt
• pepper
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoon fish sauce

Procedure:

1. Boil chicken with salt and water. Once cooked, shred and set aside. Keep the chicken broth.
2. Deep fry the tofu and set aside.
3. Saute the 1/2 cup garlic until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Heat casserole and put oil.
5. Saute garlic and onion.
6. Put the shredded chicken. Add fish salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
7. Pour the chicken broth and leave to boil.
8. Add the carrots and leave it for 3 minutes.
9. Put the noodles and celery. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.
10. Put the cabbage and simmer for another 3 minutes or until the noodles are cooked.
11. Add some more salt, pepper and water if it needs adjustment.
12. Serve with garlic, tofu and eggs on top.
13. Enjoy!

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Dinuguan (Blood Stew)

After two weeks of craving, I finally had a chance to cook Dinuguan using real pork blood. I was so happy that I found a frozen pork blood in Abela here in Abu Dhabi, since shops selling pork here don't commonly have it. Usually, they are selling pudding in replacement of blood, which I personally don't like.


I love dinuguan using pork ear, pork intestines, pork belly or combination of either of those. For this particular recipe, I made use of pork belly and pork ear. Though pork intestines were present in the grocery, I decided not to use it since I was not in the mood of spending much time cleaning it. Thus, my dinuguan turned-out enticingly delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Kg pork belly - cut into 1/2 inch
• 1/2 Kg pork ear - cut into squares
• 1/4 + 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 pcs long green pepper
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced 
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup pork blood

Procedure:

1. Sauté ginger, garlic and onion in a pan
2. Add the pork belly and pork ear, fish sauce and sauté for about 5 mins
3. Add vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes
4. Pour water and simmer for 20 minutes or until the meat are tender.
5. Stir-in the pork blood and let it simmer for 7 minutes.
6. Add the remaining vinegar. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
7. Put the long green pepper and simmer for 2 mins
8. Serve and enjoy!

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Chocolate Marble Cake Roll

Yes I am in a mood of doing rolls for my sweets nowadays. It was quite challenging to prepare roll-up cakes but it was indeed worth the try.

I was not feeling well since this morning so I decided to take a day-off from office. But I guess having a wholeday bed rest won't make me feel any better. And to surprise my husband when he come home I've prepared his favourite chocolate cake with a twist from my usual  chocolate baking.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup + ½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
• 6 Tbsp.  butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 Large eggs
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• ¼ cup water
• 200 grams PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 2 cups Whipped Cream

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease pan. Line with baking parchment paper and grease it again.
3. Microwave chocolate chips and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.
4. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
5. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Set aside.
6. Beat eggs in large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 min. or until thickened.
7. Blend in chocolate mixture.
8. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat just until blended.
9. Add remaining flour alternately with water, beating well after each addition.
10. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
11. Bake for 15 min. or until top of cake springs back when touched.
12. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Immediately invert cake onto clean towel and remove pan.
13. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one short side, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on wire rack.
14. Beat cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar in medium bowl with mixer until well blended.
15. Pour creamcheese in whipped cream and fold gently.
16. Unroll cake carefully; remove towel.
17. Spread thin layer of cream cheese mixture onto cake, completely covering top of cake. Set aside the left-over to spread to top of cake later.
18. Roll up cake; place, seam-side down, on platter.
19. Microwave remaining chocolate until chocolate is completely melted.
20. Spread onto cake the left-over cream cheese mixture.
21. Add the melted chocolate and make a marble effect.
22. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
23. Serve and enjoy!

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Brazo de Mercedes

I am so happy that I have perfectly made this recipe, Brazo de Mercedes. Well, perfect enough for a first-timer. Brazo de Mercedes is one of my favourite desserts that I've never thought I could bake. However, to my surprise it was just so easy and only very few ingredients needed. It only challenged me during the rolling of the meringue, other than that everything was fine.

Ingredients:

• 7 large raw eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1 big can condensed milk

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oC.
2. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar then beat using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
3. Make the meringue by gradually adding the granulated sugar while mixing the ingredients.
4. Add vanilla extract. Continue mixing until the texture is semi-firm.
5. Place wax paper on top of a baking pan and grease the surface.
6. Place the meringue on top of the greased wax paper then spread evenly using a spatula.
7. Bake the meringue for 20 to 30 minutes or until the color of the top part turns light to medium brown.
8. While the meringue is in the oven, make the filling by combining the egg yolks and condensed milk in a small cooking pot. Apply heat and cook the mixture while continuously stirring until the texture becomes thick.
9. Add the vanilla extract to the condensed milk and egg yolk mixture, turn off the heat, and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
10. Remove the meringue from the oven and cool down for a few minutes.
11. Sprinkle the confectioners sugar on top of the meringue then place wax paper on the top part of the meringue followed by a similar sized baking pan or tray. The meringue should now be in the middle of two baking trays.
12. Flip the meringue: the new cookie sheet/baking tray placed on top should now be below.
13. Remove the baking tray and the wax paper (you should now see the opposite side of the baked meringue).
14. Spread the filling the meringue.
15. Roll the meringue. Complete rolling side to side starting at the longest side. Make sure that the layer with filling is rolled inward.
16. Transfer to a serving plate.
17. Serve and enjoy!

See this video from Panlasang Pinoy for more detailed procedure:

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Ginataang Mais

Ginataang Mais is indeed a lovely weekend treat especially during rainy season. Even though it is not raining here in UAE my husband requested for ginataan for our mirienda. And because I was not in the mood cooking I insisted him to cook it. We originally plan to have Ginataang Munggo but since I don’t have mung beans in my cupboard we decide to have mais for ginataan.

What I personally love about this authentic Filipino dish is that it is very easy to cook and only few ingredients needed. And to rate my husband’s cooking result I would say 9 out-of 10. =D Not to brag about it but he really cooked it great, just enough according to my taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of coconut milk (4 cups)
• 1 can whole corn kernel
• 1/2 cup glutinous rice
• 3/4 cup sugar

Procedure:

1. Combine coconut milk and glutinous rice in a pot then turn on the heat. Let the coconut milk boil.
2. Once the coconut milk is boiling, stir the mixture to prevent the glutinous rice from sticking.
3. Set the fire to low and let the rice cook while stirring once in a while. This will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add the whole corn kernel and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Put-in the sugar and stir thoroughly. Cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy!

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Mango Roll-up

Just my usual craving last night I guess, or should I say I'm just a natural glutton at heart. I had some left-over ripe mangoes and started thinking of something to do with it rather than just to eat it the simple way. So, I begin looking for ingredients that I could use. Luckily, I have some whipping cream and tortilla wrappers and thought of a recipe that will suite my mangoes. =D

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup whipped cream
• 4 Sticks of ripe mango
• 1 piece Tortilla wrapper

Procedure:

1. Pipe whipping cream in the middle of the tortilla wrapper.
2. Put 2 sticks of mangoes align on top of the piped cream.
3. Pipe again some whipping cream on top of the mangoes.
4. Wrap it up and slice.
5. Put 2 sticks of mangoes on its sides and add some more whipping cream.
6. Enjoy!

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