Easy Holiday Cooking with UFC Overload All Purpose Sauces

 

Filipinos love preparing food for the holidays, that includes the longest Christmas celebration in the world, that's in the Philippines. We know much of our recipes takes hours of prep and that means, hours of precious time spent with family, friends, loved ones too. Your favorite condiment brand UFC knows how important it is so they deviced a way to make things easier in the kitchen. Meet the new UFC Overload All Purpose Sauces!

 Now even new cooks at home can become genius overnight. You can use these sauces for tons of recipes, things that usually take hours to make can become minutes because of it. It's available in 3 flavors, made with real ingredients, they call it MEATY, CREAMY and CHEESY. 

UFC Meaty Overload has pork, beef and hotdog bits enveloped in Filipino style sauce which you can use in different dishes like pizza, spaghetti and more. UFC Creamy Overload on the other hand is an add all you can white sauce. Use it for pasta, burgers, spinach dips and milk based soups for a more creamy consistency. UFC Cheesy Overload can be topped in most dishes, like pasta, sandwiches, fries and other meals that you want ended in a cheesy state. All of these are quite versatile and be used for old school or new recipes. 

Go hoard UFC Overload All Purpose Sauces in major stores, supermarkets and even online. They also teach tons of recipes at the UFC Meal Masters FB page so follow them for more!

Business Survival: The Barrio Fiesta Story

I remember every Barrio Fiesta meal I had. Now that I’ve been confined in my home, I remember several bowls of puto’t dinuguan (pork blood stew), ginataang halo halo, inihaw na liempo, lechon kawali, ensalada, mangga’t bagoong and kare kare that always had my attention. I also keep a stash, pieces of Barrio Fiesta products at home which eventually ends in Balik Bayan boxes to send to the US, or just with me because I adore their sweet chili bagoong for all the right reasons.

Speaking of which, Prime Global Corporation is taking steps to adjust to the new normal. They are very optimistic to see how Filipinos have risen up to the occasion and have done home based online food businesses, food deliveries and take outs to augment the needs of Pinoys. They’re taking their packaged foods online and diversify it. The lovely shrimp paste now gets more attention with the new sauces, spreads, dry mixes and snacks. PGC Marketing Head Ms Rachelle Gigante says “We are seeing growth opportunities with the rise of new home chefs. This would bring interest to lutong bahay recipes and we all want to be there for them. This is why we have also shared our recipes and tips on our social media channels, to also help people who have lost their livelihood.”

They also cancelled their on ground efforts and shifted online. This include opening bulk orders on their Facebook page so whole communities can get them easily. Aside from that, they also have these products on Barrio Fiesta stores, huge groceries and supermarts too. They also maintain high quality and authentic taste, which makes them execute their strong business model here and international markets claiming almost 65 percent market share in shrimp pastes. PCG President and CEO Vincent Ace Villa-real says “Our goal is to further dominate, aspire to be the top company for sauces, dressings, condiments and packaged food categories. We are not a single product company so expansion and partnerships are a given. We are a strong retail brand with superior taste and quality. We have strong fundamentals and are taking advantage of that!”

Earlier this year, they started manufacturing the Barrio Fiesta Gourmet series Patis (fish sauce), Barrio Fiesta Tubasuk (Spiced Cane Vinegar), the Crispy Joy Breading Mix, the Peanut Butter Spreads, Fiesta Chicken and Beef Broth Cubes. For kicks, they also have the new Barrio Fiesta Jumbo Roasted Peanuts. Undeniably, they do really good products which I consider staples at home. 

Make sure you follow their social media accounts to get their really good recipes. 

You’ll love what’s happening with Barrio Fiesta, and the good things they plan to have for you soon!

The New HEINZ Asian Sauces

This has been no stranger to my cupboards as they've made each french frie piece extra special with their HEINZ Ketchup. Just a few days ago, the brand launched something new, a whole new line of Asian sauces. They had us at Tong Yang Plus which is a cool hotpot and yakiniku place, though this time they got us tons of bottles of their sauces on the table. We wondered how this would turn out.

I got a few ingredients, my personal favorite was the Cheese Meatballs. I also got Tofu Skin, Chicken Dumplings, Bok Choi, Noodles, Corn, Strips of Beef, Pork with Barbecue Sauce, whilse my friends had the fish, innards and shrimp. I got the Saté broth for the hotpot so it would be a little mild. I then prepared the pot by turning on the table induction cooker. When it boiled, I got the ingredients all in. 

The broth was a little bland so I got the Heinz Golden Mark Oyster Sauce, Heinz Light Soy Sauce and a little Heinz Blended Sesame Oil in it. Tasted a spoonful, and it was already perfect. 

On the side, I prepared two sauces. The Heinz Sweet Chili Sauce and the Heinz Garlic Chili Sauce. I used the first for some of the strips of beef I got in the grill while the other was for the tons of things I got in the hotpot. You usually do get a little tired of things in the grill but since I got it all a little spicy because of the sauces, I had about 4 servings of it in one go. I also had about 3 servings of hotpot and kept coming back for the Cheese Meatballs, ahh, it was heaven!

But really, it was a great idea to have these things used for dishes we're used to. It brightens up the flavor of each dish, making it even special and not just settle with the usual things we have in the kitchen. These noodles were actually prepared by the Chef using Heinz Golden Mark Oyster Sauce, Heinz Premium Light Soy Sauce and the Heinz Blended Sesame Oil.

For fried stuff like this fish, they got it on a batter and put the Heinz Sweet Chili Sauce, and voila! You can have restaurant quality dishes at home.

They also have Heinz Soy Sauce, Premium Oyster Sauce which you can use with noodles, mushroom, veggies, and a little flurry. Those Chinese dishes would be easy because you've got them all figured out with Heinz' new Asian sauces. 

The Heinz Premium Light Soy Sauce, Heinz Soy Sauce, Heinz Blended Sesame Oil, Heinz Premium Oyster Sauce, Heinz Golden Mark Soy Sauce, Heinz Golden Mark Soy Sauce, Heinz Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and Heinz Garlic Chili Sauce is nothing but a great addition to what you have in your pantry. Everything you've had during breakfast, lunch and dinner would be just better, price wise they're also very competitive. I could even say, they're even better than those popular ones in the Asian section. I am so inlove too with the Garlic Chili Sauce, a bottle didn't last me for 3 days because I loved how spicy my dishes became after a dab of that. 

Now it's your turn, go find them on the shelves of your favorite groceries and try them, trust me on the Garlic Chili Sauce. You've got to try that!

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

Contadina Set To Conquer Philippine Kitchens

It looks like the lives of the Filipinos will become so easy this year as one of the world's most recognized food brands finally lands in the Philippines. I'm sure you've seen Nigella Lawson in several blogs and TV programs and she was here for the same reason. Have you heard of Contandina?

It's a brand that's pretty well known in the US because that's where it started in World War 1. Three immigrant families found themselves in a situation where there was a shortage of tomatoes in America. That's when they found the soil in California apt for growing an even better harvest of these lovely fruits. They started making these products and thought of home. Now they have different sauces, canned tomatoes, rich olive oil and pasta, and a woman in the fields is representing them on the packaging. That's exactly what it means in Italian.

Trying Contadina for the first time had me thinking, why hasn't this been released in the Philippines when we're one of the most pasta loving people in the world? Even if we have our own sweet version, we have tons of people in the country who prefer the more conventional, herby and classic sauces right? Like me for example, I love Arrabbiata. The Contadina Arrabbiata Sauce is a little on the sour spicy side as it's got tomatoes, garlic and chili as it's main ingredients. It's lovely on Penne pasta and only needs a little heat when making as it's ready to serve on these handy dandy bottles which Contadina comes in. Aside from that, they also have Napoleatana which is made from vegetables mixed in with the usual ingredients like the Trinity in Italian cooking (onions, carrots, celery). The Aglio Arrostito on the other hand is made from tomatoes and the wonderful roasted garlic. I can already imagine having a hot bowl of it looking at my bed side window while the rain pours. Perfect comfort food.

I love antipastis and these olive oils would really make it special. They have Pure Olivr Oil which you can use to cook and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil for just dipping with bread or your salads, or just on top of slices of parma ham and prosciutto. I can go on and on and we'd still be hungry haha! I'm imagining things already! 

For those hearty stews, Contandina also have these canned tomatoes that'll be perfect for that. Imagine baking chicken topped with cheese and spending a few minutes on the stove, but we don't really have to wait for hours and waste precious time stewing because the sauce is already good to go.

The Linguine and Penne pasta stayed firm and al dente as we cooked it at home. I overcooked the penne a bit actually but it didn't become mushy at all. The convenience, the flavors, all come easy in a bottle or a can, plus a very competitive price range if you compare it to the existing local ones. It's hearty, homey and definitely reminds you of the Italy and how it's made by the Italians.

Are you excited about Contadina?

For more information about their products:

Official GMA Artist Center

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https://www.facebook.com/contadinaphilippines/

Ruth's Birthday and the Clara Ole Wizardry Event

Sectumsempra! (Me as Professor Severus Snape)

A few months ago, we got invited to Ruth's birthday. She's a good friend and part of our rowdy bunch called The Suspects. The premise was, we needed to dress up as the theme required Harry Potter. I was a little overly excited because I only thought of dressing up as one of the characters in the series. I have this affinity to be a little evil every now and then and I remembered how some people even teased me that I look like Professor Snape a couple of years ago. The actor Alan Rickman who played his role just recently passed away so I wasn't really feeling it, but in some way I had to do it to pay homage to the man who portrayed Severus Snape. Now I wasn't really alone suiting up as a Harry Potter character because there were others who dressed up as Harry, Hermione, Dobby and others. Fortunately, I had a Mom who slaved about 3 days with no sleep to make my costume a bit realistic so she won this one for me. She got a brand new induction cooker, pots, pans, utensils and tons of Clara Ole products in return. Love you Mom!

The party was also sponsored by the good people from Clara Ole. I've attended one of their events last year and this was a bit magical. The food they prepared had a LOT of Clara Ole products on them which had sauces, syrups, fruit preserves and tons of other products from them that made the task of preparing this EASY. Just use the usual ingredients, take dabs of the Fruity or Maple Syrup and make the easy beef slice horderves. For pasta, just use the usual ingredients but make the base with the Three Cheese Sauce so you don't have to make it from scratch. Now people might think it would be better with natural ingredients but if you think about it, the Clara Ole sauce was at par. You don't need to spend hours chopping tomatoes, grating cheese or simmering and use precious gas to have it this good. Sad that we weren't able to take photos of the food that much because people were so excited to eat them as soon as the doors opened!

We also played games during the event where several teams won goodies from Ruth and Clara Ole. I love that the place was transformed to the mess hall we often see in Harry Potter movies. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor would be proud. We also got Nimbus 2000 packs to take home so we could experience having the same Clara Ole magic in our kitchens too.

In the end, I was so happy for Ruth that she got to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and us the bloggers. We had fun too, that's what is important for her, and it was just super easy because we had Clara Ole on the side to make it a hassle free celebration. With a flick of the wrist, the swish of the wand, everything was magical and happy because we've seen ourselves transported to Hogwarts even for a day.

Team Suspects

Thank you Ruth for having us, thank you also to Clara Ole for a magical evening!

Photo Credits: All photos in this post belong to Rodel Flordeliz of Nognoginthecity.com and not mine. I had to be in character and didn't get to take photos :(

For more information about their products:

Clara Ole Philippines

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http://www.claraole.com/

Clara Olé Potluck Food Fest

Clara Olé has already gone so much more as just a brand for jams and jellys. Today, there's quite an assortment of products that they have in the market that have dauntlessly saved lives of Moms and people in the kitchen as they made them all kinds of creams, sauces, marinades and a lot of other things. Cooking became just a cinch, like chopping up ingredients, meats, boiling the pasta and pouring in the sauce which everybody loves. It used to take countless hours to do that but now, it's way better. In grand celebrations yesterday morning, they got us into a Potluck Food Fest over at R Space in Makati. They whipped up dishes using CLARA OLE products and shown us how quick they can cook dishes with it. Celebrity Mom and Homemaker Amy Perez was also there to do a short cooking demo using sausage and cream based pasta sauce from Clara Ole, check out our video!

Clara Ole is also going to several schools in order to do these Potluck Foodfests so they can show Filipinos how good it is to have Clara Ole products in their kitchen. They will be starting this April 25th and the consecutive ones after that. Who knows??? They might go to the provinces as well pretty soon! Please follow their social media channels so you can take note of the dates and locations for the next Clara Ole Potluck Foodfests next time!

For more information about their products:

Clara Ole

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Visit their official website

http://www.claraole.com/