Beat the Summer Heat with Mr. Hat Gulaman!

Things have been on record high temperatures and the Philippines is experiencing El Nino right front and center. Our dreams of just spending summer in the beach may have to take the back seat, or just proceed with caution... perhaps do something else and make it sweet and refreshing!

Your summer should still be colorful, whether it be in a glass full of your favorite Halo-Halo, or a bright Sago't Gulaman, you can only think of one thing in the grocer, and that's Mr. Hat Gulaman!

I've been using this for years now and even got my sibling in Europe some of it so he could remember home. It's a sweet reminder of time with family, with friends, and is a versatile ingredient in various desserts that we often do as sweet tooth's. It comes in different flavors like lychee, orange, strawberry, and I've done so many recipes with this over the years.

It's Local!

For those who don't know, Mr. Hat Gulaman is actually a local product. This is made by Seanluc Inc. known for making quality food and beverages for the Philippine market. It's also au naturelle, as it's from seaweed extract combined with sugar, flavorings and different colors. They also have unflavored Mr. Hat Gulaman so if you plan to make other desserts that require that, there's always options! This comes in 7 flavored and 6 unflavored versions, so if one doesn't fit your recipe, go with a different one. Imagine the things you can do with a pack of Mr. Hat Gulaman!

You can do Mango Tapioca, or Buko Pandan, or do Coffee Jelly on a hot day. If it's a recipe that has been passed on through generations or a new one (because you're a genius!).

Here's a recipe that's been tested great, one that you could try!

Coconut Gulaman Coolers by Mr. Hat Gulaman

The ingredients are a pack of Mr. Hat Gulaman (get the Buko Pandan Flavor). 2 cups of water, a quarter cup sugar, 250ml of Coconut Water, a quarter cup Condensed Milk, a quarter cup of All Purpose Cream and crushed ice.

Dissolve the gulaman pack and sugar in the 2 cups of water you prepared. Turn the stove on low and simmer, then put it on a tray to cool and set. Cut it up to small squares to make it pretty. On a separate bowl, mix the All Purpose Cream, Condensed Milk and Coconut Water. Put the Mr. Hat Gulaman, then crushed ice on a tall wide glass, put in a few of the milk mixture. Use a pandan leaf on the side and serve to your guests, they'll surely love it!

If you want a softer gulaman, just add a bit more water. If you prefer a firmer one, adjust the gulaman powder you put in on boiling water. Mix it thoroughly so you don't get lumps. You can follow @mrhatgulaman on social channels to have more experts help you with your recipes. They also post a lot of content there to beat the summer heat. I've been a solid user of Mr. Hat Gulaman, and have seen my family, my friends enjoy it!

Now it's your turn!

Some Good Duru Bulgur from The Goodwill Market

Going to the market is a little arduous these days but I had to do it during the most difficult times in our lives, the pandemic. One of the few discoveries I've had during that time was a welcome treat, it's called Bulgur. It is cracked wheat grain that's known to be more nutritious than white rice. It's got twice more fiber content which makes it also better for diabetics (like me) who want to control our blood sugar levels.

I've had the chance to eat this quite a lot in hotels but it wasn't that conveniently available in Philippine markets. I also don't know how to cook it other than just mixing veggies and protein (and a bouillon cube on some occasion). It's very filling and satisfying, plus it tastes great. I was wondering what other recipes could be cooked with it, but here goes the good people from The Goodwill Market showing me how it's done. 

In Ilocos, there's a very little known noodle dish called Pansit Lusay. I'm quite familiar with it as I've spend quite a while in the region. The Goodwill Market is sharing this recipe with Bulgur to show how easy it is to make dishes out of it.

 Here are the ingredients:

1 cup of Duru Bulgur (Coarse Bulgur)
½ cup of tomatoes chopeed and seeds taken out
½ cup of onions thinly sliced
1 can Tuna
2-4 tbsp Bagoong Ilocano
Pinch of Black pepper
Salt to taste

Put Duru Bulgur in a rice cooker and wash it first. Cook til it gets fluffy or according to package instructions. Take it out of cooker and scrape with fork onto a tray then put in the fridge to chill. In another container, put tomatoes and onions together, drain the tuna from the can and mix together. Combine it with the Bulgur and treat this like a cold salad. Pour Bagoong Ilocano, salt and pepper to taste. 

This is certainly full of vitamins, minerals, Omega 3, and is an excellent alternative to rice, noodles or pasta. Think about the things you could do with this in soups, salads, Filipino or international dishes that would usually include rice or noodles, using Duru Bulgur was really an eye opener for me and it's been something that I add to any dish if I want to make it a little more healthy. Plus even if you put a little, it's already filling. Plus it can be sent to your home via The Goodwill Market. You can visit their website at https://goodwill.market/. They also have different healthy organic products you should try if you're into healthy stuff. They also have cleaning products, some for the skin, even coffee for those who are choosy. You don't have to travel to other countries to get it, it's all at The Goodwill Market.

 Don't take my word for it, you got to try if it fits your taste!

 

Fried Dishes Made Nutritious with Quaker Rolled Oats

The most difficult things to do during the pandemic is to stay away from eating too much, and how to get your previous active lifestyle to still happen. Truth be told, the fear of going out has gotten us all confined within our homes, and since it's still okay to eat.. we transformed a little pudgy over the years in lockdown. When restrictions eased a little and we started to have access to gyms, we got to run again on treadmills and lift weights... but going back into shape was a harder because our metabolism got a little slower. I think it's just not enough, so we got to think smart!

Now I know I'm not alone with my obsession with Fried Chicken. In fact, I know your kids like it. So I'm going to give you my personal recipe for Southern Fried Chicken. I use a half kilo of chicken pieces (or half a chicken would do). I usually put them in brine the day before and in the fridge, but it's okay if you're not keen doing that because having it lightly salted and dusted with pepper would be okay. I dredge them in flour, then egg, then instead of the usual panko bread crumbs, you can use a cup of Quaker Rolled Oats (you can leave it chunky but I prefer to blitz it for a few seconds). It's going to have the same crunchy texture you love in fried chicken. I usually pan fry them til it gets brown on both sides. Preferably, make sure it's got enough oil to cook it on low fire so the coating doesn't burn before the actual meat cooks. You can opt for pork (for some breaded pork chop action) but chicken is always a good treat for kids).

Putting Quaker Rolled Oats on the mix means you are getting 7x more fiber per serving and about 1.7x more protein than usual fried chicken. Aside from that, you get energy, beta glucan to help you lower your cholesterol. This is healthy and if you put oats in your diet regularly, you'll have more fiber to aid in digestion. Having these in your usual fried favorites would be a smart thing to do, add to that your regular breakfast and snacks, even overnight oats (to eat the next day), wouldn't that do wonders for your health?

 

See, it's quite easy to change the way you prepare food. Remember, it's not enough to just work out these days to have your desired body. You've got to weigh in on how to be smart and put nutritious ingredients in what you consume at home. As my personal trainer told me, it's not just working out that is important. Abs actually are sculpted in the kitchen, makes sense no?

Well there you go, get yourselves some of the good stuff I'm mixing in things that I cook as Quaker Rolled Oats is available in leading grocery stores, supermarkets, and online on Shopee here https://shp.ee/tfczkfj

Hunky Luis Manzano at Gala Stars Celebrity Series

You've seen him host several game shows. His programs all have remarkable success no matter what time slot he appears in on television. This time, he's trading that game show host jacket for a Chef's hat as he appears in Chef Ernest Gala's GALASTARS Culinary Celebrity Series. This is a webisode shown on the Galastars Culinary Facebook Page and their assets featuring the most popular celebrities as they feature their best dish as they share their favorite recipes online. 

Mind you I've been here a couple of times already because of cooking classes which we did with brands in the past. The place has complete world class equipment, ingredients available are some of the freshest produce so the only thing we did there was cook and hone our skills in the kitchen. It's also accesible as it's just in the main thoroughfare of Shaw Boulevard, so close to QC, Pasig and Mandaluyong communities.

Luis by the way is no stranger in the kitchen. Although you don't see him cook or do any of that on TV, he's actually a Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate from De La Salle College of St. Benilde. He admits it's been a while since he's held pots, pans, knives or stoves but like riding a bike he was able to whip out mains, even dessert during this stint, like a natural in the kitchen. In the webisodes, you'll see him prepare the meaty, lovely CROWN ROAST and also bake some good ol CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES. These are some of his favorites, but he wishes he also gets some help in mastering some of his family's treasured ones like the Salpicao Pasta that his Tito Ralph and brother loves. Also the one done by his Mother and Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos which is a One Dish Meal. He brags "I haven't found anyone who didn't like my Mom's Meal In One. It's an original recipe that she developed over the years, hopefully with Chef Erns help we could finally do it properly as I've had hits and misses when I attempted do her recipe."

This is just one of the things that Lucky Manzano hopes develop into a long partnership with Chef Erns. He hopes to learn more from him as he's planning to dip his hand into the food and restaurant business soon. For those who would want classes from Galastars Culinary, they are located at 179 Shaw Boulevard Pasig City. They have short courses and full ones so don't hesitate to ask. 

These guys know what they are doing. You may watch one of the episodes now on their Facebook Page here https://www.facebook.com/GalaStarsCulinary/videos/1780806161991746/.

Enjoy!

Cooking with Gold Seas Tuna

I just received a care package a couple of weeks ago and I was so glad about it. What's inside you ask? It's my new favorite brand of tuna, it's called GOLD SEAS. I was there when they launched the product and even made Bento boxes on stage. I knew it was going to be easy to prepare meals with it because trust me, I've spent several days just eating canned stuff because Mom went on a vacation... I really had to device a way to make meals with just what's inside the pantry. Not because I don't have a choice, but I don't really have time to go to the market or grocery sometimes and we have to be resourceful you know.

I love that Gold Seas has different flavors. This is probably one of the things that could differentiate them from the other brands. I personally like the one with lemon, plus the spicy one. Plus the fact that they are responsibly fished, out in the South Pacific. They are canned fresh and fast just like this blog LOL. I also like the fact that their kind of tuna is a little more dense, like really meaty, even if you are obviously eating fish.

Tuna has been known to be a very good source of protein and Omega 3. You can also do a lot of recipes with it. It's like a blank canvas, add ingredients of your favorite dishes to this one and use Tuna instead of meat or poultry. It's already a healthy dish after that. Well for me, I believe in convenience... and I actually adore just having it plainly. I don't even have to cook and find ingredients anymore because it's already cooked that way on some of the cans. Curry? They have it. Want it spicy? They have some with Pepper and Chili. I thought it was sold about the same price but I found it a little pricier at SM when I bought it, but really, even if it is, I'd still have it because it's more compact than the other brand.

For breakfast I didn't even have to heat it up. I just open the can, put it on top of toasted bread and I'm good. It made me full in just a few minutes, no rice, I could even have it in the microwave and heat it up for 2 minutes and voila!

I had the Herb and Garlic, Indian Curry and Lemon and Pepper variants for lunch, you should too! You can purchase this now in leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide!

ITALY ON A PLATE Using Contadina Pasta and Sauces

It was a fine afternoon and we got invited to a fun shopping blitz over at Robinsons Selections in McKinley Hill. Our friends from Contadina challenged us to a shopping spree and a cooking challenge and I think I've been able to step on the plate and whipped up ITALY ON A PLATE. My original idea was to do something with pesto but when I got there, I got overwhelmed with the tons of ingredients I could choose. SO instead of doing just one dish, I decided to do 3 to signify the colors of the Italian flag!

You see, I love three types of pasta that I usually cook for celebrations. So why not put them together and make it pretty right? It was super easy to prepare too because I used Contadina pasta. I just cooked it according to the package directions, and it stayed al dente even if I cooked it a little over 8 minutes. The sauces were also all bottled so I didn't have to put in that much spices because it was already good as is. So basically, no more chopping, no more hours spent in simmering tomato sauce because it's already in a bottle. You just have to cook the other things like chicken, tuna, beef, and bacon. I also added butter, olives and capers to give it a more authentic look. I did the video too so check this out!

So you see, it's not hard to cook. I even have one it without slaving away two days in the kitchen because sauces come in a bottle, and the pasta is easy to cook. Plus, it tastes great! That's what easy looks like, that's what CONTADINA gives guys too. Premium pasta goodness like what your Mom used to make!

For more information about their products:

Contadina by Del Monte

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https://www.facebook.com/contadinaphilippines

My Creamy Pork Adobo

Chef Rob Pengson's Creamy Chicken Adobo, I'm up for a challenge!

It's been quite a while since I've been able to see how they cooked the Creamy Chicken Adobo. I'm sure you've seen my post here a couple of days back but I've been rearing to make this at home. I'm not a chef, but I do cook. I could call myself "experimental" if there's a word for it. I can cook really mean pork dishes and I don't hold back on flavor, but what made me a little giddy during that afternoon of cooking was that they challenged us, that every dish would be special if we had Nestle Cream in it. I'm up for that!

They gave us kitchen tools and bricks of Nestlé All Purpose Cream to make it easier to recreate the dish at home!

Now everyone has got their own Adobo recipe, mine's a little different because I want it to be a little spicy. I cooked with pork in lieu of chicken for dinner this evening as I wanted it to be a little "nutritious" too. I kid, of course I wanted a little fat on the dish!

Here's my recipe:

1/2 Kilogram Pork Steak cut into strips
2 Table Spoon Canola Oil
2/3 Cups Vinegar
1/2 Cup Maggi Soy Sauce
1/2 Tea Spoon Maggi Magic Sarap
3 Laurel Leaves
3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1/2 Tea Spoon Sugar
1/2 Table Spoon Pepper Corn
1/2 Table Spoon Ground Pepper
1pc Thai Bird Chili
1/2 Cup Water
1 pack Nestle All Purpose Cream

Marinate the Pork First in 1 Table Spoon Maggi Soy Sauce for about 30 Minutes.  In a pan, pour in 2 Table Spoons of Canola Oil and let it become hot first. Drop in the pork strips and let it brown on the sides, then set it aside. On the same pan, pour in the vinegar and let it boil a little. Then put in the pork steak strips back, the garlic, then the rest of the Maggi Soy Sauce and the water. Add the peppercorns, a dash of pepper, the sugar, the Thai Bird Chili and half a tea spoon of Maggi Magic Sarap. You can also add the 3 Laurel Leaves and let it simmer. If the sauce reduces, turn off the heat and add in the Nestle All Purpose Cream. Make sure you mix it thoroughly. In a bowl, serve the Pork first in a mound then pour in the sauce. This is best paired with a cup or two of white rice. Enjoy!

The reason why I had the cream added at the end was to make it not separate from the oil. I like my Pork Adobo be extra creamy and it was so good I had seconds, no I had thirds!

They were right, adding Nestle Cream to everyday dishes can really make it special. When I had this dinner with my family this evening, they said the dish was weird. I waited a bit and voila! The rice for 5 people suddenly disappeared... and so did the Creamy Pork Adobo.

Thank you for letting me know that my everyday dishes CAN become VERY SPECIAL just by adding Nestle All Purpose Cream. You can do it too, trust me on the cream!

For more information about their product:

Nestle Cream

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https://www.createwithcream.ph/

How to Make Creamy Chicken Adobo

 I was invited by our friends from Nestle the other week in an intimate event for bloggers. I was a bit surprised because I didn't know it was going to be this big even though we were just among friends, family who tagged along as it is a family event. I saw some of my blogger friends who often do food reviews in the mix - and the ambiance was pleasurable, saw so much food on the tables and a whole lechon in the middle. Although I found out later on, there's another star of the show. They call it Creamy Chicken Adobo. When I saw that on the tarp, I was like, for real?

Now I know for some, that would really be blasphemous but trust me... there's a bigger man who told me this would actually work. I saw him working on the recipe while I was walking around the venue. See him in the center? :)

Yes! Be still your hearts ladies, it's the good looking Chef Rob Pengson! He's got several restaurants to his belt, tons of TV appearances and love from the best people in the industry. Now he told us that it is possible to make a Creamy Chicken Adobo. How can we even worry right?

So he had us educated about how to cook the Creamy Chicken Adobo. I do actually cook so I think the ingredients he used was quite common if you're cooking the usual chicken adobo. The difference between his recipe and mine is that I do add a little sugar on my recipe and that's about it. He also uses Maggi Magic Sarap and the new Maggi Soy Sauce.

 Now I think it would be advisable to actually be careful in putting salt as there are already some ingredients that are on the salty side. You'll also need peppercorn, ground pepper, garlic and bay leaf. I call them the usual suspects.

I think you can cook a big whole chicken with these ingredients. Just chop it up via adobo cut, clean it up and set aside. Then don't forget the ingredient that will make your ordinary Chicken Adobo become the Creamy Chicken Adobo, of course it's the Nestle All Purpose Cream!

So Chef Rob taught us to make the sauce first. He put the vinegar to a slow boil, Maggi soy sauce, a pinch of Maggi Magic Sarap, bay leaf and pepper in one pot. He then put the chicken in the mixture, let it simmer a bit and set it aside. We fried the chicken in oil, then the garlic on one side of the pan. We set some of it aside so we could put it on top later. When the chicken becomes a little brown on the sides, pour the mixture in and let it simmer. Be careful not to leave it on high as the sauce might evaporate, just make the sauce boil until you see it's enough for serving later (of course it's lovely on top of rice too). Then serve to your family and friends. 

Oh but wait! He's not going to let us off that easy! He got the bloggers to work on their cooking skills and try the recipe if they can replicate it. Well I think these guys are good in the kitchen to begin with so it looked really easy!

Jill and Yen were pros, as Yen had previously cooked Creamy Chicken Adobo already. This is her third time.

They also waited patiently for the Chicken to cook. I didn't join them technically I was just shouting on the sidelines some suggestions how to plate it. I think it worked! Ha-ha!

The hard part was waiting for it, because it smelled so good at the venue we really wanted to eat it!

Then after cooking the Chicken Adobo, we turned off the fire and poured in a brick of Nestle All Purpose Cream.

They mixed it in and let it set for a while.

Then Chef Rob started to come up to the stations and tasted their final product. They compared the dish with the other groups and they ended up making a different version. It's normal and he even encouraged it!

This was the Creamy Chicken Adobo that Chef Rob Pengson made. It was more sauce and on the creamy side.

He also used Nestle All Purpose Cream for this dish. He then said that you can add this to almost all our dishes to make it special. Judging from the Creamy Chicken Adobo, it makes sense!

Chef Rob tasted the entry of Yen and Jill, I think he liked it!

Plating it was tough, they boiled the chicken long so with less liquid plus the cream, the sauce was thick and yummy!

By my standards, this is gorgeous. Now I think I'm going to try this out at home and perhaps add in a few spices to make it my version of Creamy Chicken Adobo. Maybe I can add a little chili to get that little kick I always love!

In the end, they were all winners! I couldn't agree more! You know, I think this is very easy. You can make any dish special as long as you make it for the people that you love, and a little help from Nestle All Purpose Cream. So if you've got that favorite recipe you've been inching to tweak a bit, make it special by putting in that one ingredient. It'll cost you a couple of pesos but once that your family gets a taste of it, it'll be worth it! The happiness you'll feel though, would be priceless!

Wouldn't you want that to happen? Create with Cream.

For more information about their product:

Nestle Cream

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Visit their official website

https://www.createwithcream.ph/