Product Review : Lee Kum Kee Sesame Oil

Hello everyone!


Good morning!

It has been months since I planned to buy this particular condiment to add to my usual soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce selection however, I have to weigh things first before I can purchase something. Kuripot ba? Hindi naman masyado, I'm running on a budget eh so what is listed on my to buy list yun dapat ang unahin ko.

Kaso, I wanted to cook pork siomai din for the longest time, since sesame oil is needed in the recipe napa-impulse buying ako kanina sa grocery.

There are two options for this particular sesame oil, the one is in a bigger bottle for the lesser price  but for some reasons, I chose Lee Kum Kee, siguro kasi well-known na sya and tested na over time. Sometimes, we need to really choose quality over quantity kahit na nga mas pricey pa yan go lang as long as makukuha natin yung needed natin na outcome dun sa purchase natin. Let me welcome this Lee Kum Kee sesame oil to my pantry!

For the siomai, I have to admit that I need practice since it was some sort of trial and error. The taste was good but unfortunately I was unable to grease the steamer with oil and the siomai got stucked kaya ang nangyari in-scoop namin yung siomai instead na gamitan lang ng chop sticks haha! Turns out not blog-worthy to post haha! I will cook soon, hopefully this time I will be able to post it here. :)

Food Trip of the Week : Vegetable Wrap

Hello everyone!


Good morning!

Having worked as an OFW in the Middle East, there are days that me and husband will crave for some Arabic food, but there is no restaurant near our place that serves authentic Arab food. I recall that my favorite includes machboos laham/dee-ay or machboos samach, kafayif, malfoof or should I say I love all of them? I would love to cook some biryani rice at home, but I am having a hard time finding the right spices and also I need to learn how to cook it haha! The other day, I had some ground pork and mixed vegetable left over and bought some tortilla wrap add some fresh lettuce and onion and although the it is not even close to an Arabic meal, it still reminds me of the good times I had in UAE and the warm people who accommodated me for 3 years.

Vegetable Wrap

To the people in Delma who were like a family to me...this food is for you.

Food Trip of the Week : Lomi

Hello everyone!


Good morning!


It's been raining for the last few days and we have to think of ways to warm ourselves with blankets and yes, food! Being born and raised in Batangas, lomi is one of those food that is so popular, makikita mo naman lahat halos ng karinderya, canteen, restaurant eh may ganyan sa menu. My husband loves lomi, and to be honest ayoko lutuin ito kasi I'm afraid na hindi maging masarap ang outcome. Pero I have to do this, una kasi gusto ko itry ulit magluto nito and para na din makuha ang approval ng asawa ko haha! I passed with flying colors kasi he posted it in his FB account. Yehey! Below is the recipe, try nyo din lalo na ngayon na maulan at malamig.

Ingredients:

1 pc.              chicken thigh (shred into pieces)
1 pack            kikiam
1/4 kg.            chicken liver
250 gms          lomi noodles
1 tbsp.            cooking oil
4 cloves          garlic
1 medium        onion
4 eggs             (3 hardboiled, 1 beaten)
2tsp.               cornstarch (dissolve in 1/2 cup water)
vegetables       carrots, cabbage, baguio beans (mixed/available at Savemore)
3 tbsp.             fish sauce
leek
pepper to taste



 Procedure:

1. Bring water to boil season with salt and pepper. Add chicken thigh and chicken liver cooking until done. Take out chicken and liver from the broth and let it cool. Set chicken broth aside.
2. Wash lomi noodles in cold running water. Drain. Set aside.
3. In a pan, saute garlic and onion. Next, cook kikiam and chicken thigh until both turn a bit brownish. Add the lomi noodles cooking for about 2 minutes.
4. Boil the broth adding more water if needed then add the noodles simmer for 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook.
5. Add vegetable cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Add the cornstarch and the beaten egg to the broth.
7. Garnish with hard boiled egg.
8. Serve hot and enjoy.
9. Goes well with soy sauce, kalamansi and chili.

My version of Batangas Lomi

Food Trip of the Week : Pancit Bihon

Hello everyone!


Good morning!

When the weather is like this, rainy,cold, blanket and bed worthy parang wala ka gusto gawin kundi ang magstay sa bahay and kumain. During weekends or walang pasok ang lagi namin problema is kung ano ang kakainin or lulutuing meryenda kahit kakatapos pa lang ng breakfast or lunch.That explains kung bakit malaki ako haha! Anyway, here is something na worth trying kapag nagugutom, kakasawa na din naman ang ready to cook na noodles di ba?


Ingredients :

1 pack         Vermicelli noodles
500 grams   chicken breast (cut into strips)
1 pack          kikiam
1 pack          squid balls
250 grams    chicken liver
3 cloves        garlic
1 medium     onion
1 medium     carrots
15 pieces      baguio beans
half head      cabbage
1 pack           snow peas (chicaro)
water            3-4 cups
3 tbsp           sauce  
2 tbsp           oyster sauce
ground pepper


Procedure:

1. Bring to a boil 3-4 cups of water. Add chicken breast and liver, seasoned with salt and pepper. turn off heat once the chicken turned white. Set aside, reserve broth.
2. In a pan, saute garlic, onion adding kikiam and squid balls. Cook until turns slight brown.
3. Add chicken strips cooking for 3 minutes. Once cooked, add carrots, beans, snow peas and cabbage. Do not overcook. Slowly add soy sauce, oyster sauce and pepper.
4. On the reserve broth, cook the vermicelli noodles for 2-3 minutes and then drain.
5. Mix with the vegetable, adding the cook chicken liver.
6. Serve with fish sauce and kalamansi.
7. Enjoy!

Pancit bihon, still in kawali :)

Adventure : Mr. Kimbob Korean Healthy Food at SM Foodcourt

Hi everyone!


Good morning!


We had our usual visit to the nearest SM, and been seeing this new Korean food chain for awhile now. Finally, husband and I decided to try their food. Being a food lover, we find it pleasing that they have big servings plus the fact that they serve veggie on the side is a new thing. Normally, fast food offers fried everything , that is according to my observation. Plus the fact that the food costs P99 is really worth trying, right?


   We were undecided on which to order, good thing the crew offered their best seller --- the Bibimbob!

Bibimbob

    I was not in the mood for something spicy that day so I skipped the one with kimchi and ordered the one below :

Bulgogi Jabche Dubbob

    This is the same dish as the Bibimbob except for the japchae (it's the korean version of pancit). We also had this vegetable dumpling as side dish.

Vegetable dumpling

Our food for the day..

  

   My husband did love the food although he was asking for something more spicy with that being said he was looking forward to another eating marathon at Kimbob.On my part, I found the japchae too oily and the serving too big for me, like half pa lang ang nakakain ko gusto ko na mag give-up haha! But it was all worth it given the price. :)

Food trip of the week : Ginisang Pechay with Tokwa

Hello everyone!


Good morning!

On a weekly basis, you will find this food on our table. I consider myself being on a budget all the time, so I have to think of ways that I can bet my 100 pesos, challenge ito haha!

Ingredients :

1/2 kg          pechay (separate the stems from the leaves)
1/4 kg          pork giniling
4 pcs.          fried tokwa (I buy this cooked from the carinderia)
2 cloves       garlic (minced)
1 medium     onion (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash pechay thoroughly. Cut into serving pieces, separate the stems from the leaves.
2. In a pot, saute garlic until brown, add in onion cook until it turns white.
3. Add ground pork cooking until it turned brownish.
4. Add the tokwa cook for a minute.
5. Slowly add the pechay stems cook for 2 minutes. Do not overcooked to maintain the pechay's        crispiness, quickly add the leaves, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and turn off the heat.
6. Serve with steamed white rice.

Ginisang Pechay with Tokwa

Sorry the photo is not that clear, I've used mobile phone for easier uploading. :)

A year older...

Hi everyone!


Good morning!


It's July now, you know what that means?

I'm a year older, yay! Haha.. I never had issues with my age, contrary to some people I know who would deny their real age. To be honest, hindi ko maintindahan yung ganun but then again gusto nila so be it, kumbaga walang basagan ng trip.

I'm turning 35, how cool is that?

A year older, am I wiser? I hope so, been through hell and back.

No special plans on that day, in fact, I will still report for work and do my job (as usual). I have checked my leave credits and I can go on a vacation leave but I choose to reserve it for other occasion, like our anniversary?

Today, I am...

Thankful for my family -- immediate and extended.
Thankful that I have Dad and Hannah Ashaya.
Thankful to all my friends.
Thankful for the simple life that we have.
For the air that I breathe.
For the heartaches that made me a better person.
For the laughter and the tears.
For the unconditional love.
Looking forward to many more fruitful years.