Off Days and Pinoy Pizza

There are some days when things just don't seem to work for you. That day used to always be Monday for me. But now that I've gone freelance, it surprises me that Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and heck, even Sundays can be off-days.

It is  on such days that our tiny kitchen is filled with dirty dishes and leftovers are called lunch. One recent easy to cook snack on my off days is my recently discovered Pinoy Pizza. You can vary the ingredients, depending on what's available. I have put in my recommended alternatives below the recipe.

Pardon me if this intro is short. it is an off day, after all.

Pinoy Pizza

Ingredients:
2 small Frozen Pizza crust
250 gms or 4 packs of Kesong Puti (Cheese from Carabao's Milk), sliced
2 Itlog na Pula (Red Eggs), sliced
1 medium-sized boneless Tinapang Bangus (Smoked Milkfish), crumbled
4-6 pieces of medium-sized native tomatoes, sliced
150 gms Queso de Bola (Edam Cheese), grated

Procedure:

Thaw the frozen pizza crust.
Slice the Kesong Puti into 1/4 inch thick slices. Wipe away any liquid.
Place on top of the crust covering as much crust as possible.
Place the sliced tomatoes on top pf the kesong Puti.
Crumble the Tinapang Bangus and layer on top of the tomatoes.
Add another layer of sliced tomatoes
Sprinkle the grated Queso de Bola generously.

Pre-heat your oven toaster for 10 minutes at 250degrees. Bake the Pizza for 10-15 minutes or until the crust edges get that toasted look or turn dark brown.
Slice and serve.

Alternatives:
For Kesong Puti- Cream Cheese (but if you use this, use the Queso de Bola sparingly)

For Tinapang Bangus- Bottled Spanish Sardines or Tawilis (take out the bones and feel free to sprinkle a little of the oil on top of the Pizza

For Queso de Bola- Cheddar

For Itlog na Pula: Sorry I haven't found a suitable rd egg altenative. What you can do though, is to take out the pizza  5 minutes before it's fully cooked, crack a raw egg on top (you can use quail eggs, too)  and put back the pizza in the oven.

For the frozen Pizza crust- you can use white bread or pan de sal cut in half.

You can also add:
- onion rings (best if marinated in pineapple juice or honeyed calamansi juice for at least 30 minutes
- Pineapple tidbits
- Chili flakes (sprinkle after taking the Pizza out of the oven)

Boys! Boys! or How to Make a Meal Out of Martian Brains

Halloween was never an occassion celebrated by my family as I was growing up.

My first and only Halloween Trick or Treat experience was around ten years back when my then ten-year old baby bro' Angelo and his friend Bernard decided they would try their hand at amassing sweet treats from Bernard's neighbors in a gated community in Marikina. 

   Angelo and Bernard then...

Bernard's dad, Chito, and myself played costume master and mistress, borrowing Roman soldier costumes ---complete with toga, helmets and sandals--- from another friend,. When the boys went out in their costumes, Chito and I realized that we had just dressed two boys in flimsy white skirts, something that they'd probably never forgive us for when the pictures resurface via Facebook.

A few hours later, the boys returned with a bagful of candies, plastic toys and unhappy faces. Apparently, they realized that the homes they visited towards the end of their Hallow's Eve jaunt were already having supper.  And when they were handed their treats, they were disappointed  because the tired and hungry boys wanted to be gifted with rice and adobo instead of sweets!

They are now both in the cusp of adulthood and are on the brink of facing the truths of life that turn boys into men. But Angelo and Bernard will probably always be those pre-pubescent boys in my eyes.

   ...Angelo and Bernard today.

Here's a Halloween recipe for the boys...

Martian Brain Noodles

Ingredients:

1.5 kg Malunggay pansit

1 cup pork,  sliced into thin 1 inch lengths

1 cup Pork or chicken liver, cut into ¼ inch cubes

1 cup Chinese sausage, cut into ¼ inch circles

1 cup Shrimp, shelled, deveined and halved

1 cup tenga ng daga, softened and cut into 1 inch long strips

1 ½  cups Squash, cut into 1 inch high triangles

250 grams tofu

500 grams wombok

4 ½  cups water

3 tbsps soy sauce

1 tbsp Kutchai, minced

1 tbsp garlic, finely minced

1 cup onion, finely minced

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 shrimp bouillon cube

Salt and pepper to taste

Place pork in ½ cup water and add a dash of salt. Allow water to boil and the pork to become tender. When about 1 tbsp of water is left, add the Chinese sausage. Turn fire to low. Allow the remaining water to cook the sausage and bring out the oil of the pork to brown the meats.  Add cooking oil, garlic and onion. Then add the liver and tofu. Sautee until brown.

Dissolve the shrimp bouillon cube in 4 cups of water and add to the mixture when the liver is almost cooked. Add in the tenga ng daga, and squash. When the squash is slightly tender, add the shrimp and soy sauce to taste.

When the shrimp changes color, add the malunggay noodles and mix gently. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix gently for five minutes, making sure to evenly distribute the ingredients and keep the noodles moist.

To serve,put a helping of the noodles in a bowl and mold. turn over to a plate and garnish with vegetables.

ha

Maybe Mocha Banana Shake

I have recently found myself exercising.

Yes, it's the activity that involves moving the body around and sweating like a pig (which by the way is a misnomer because pigs don't have sweat glands). Motivated by my upwardly mobile waistline jumping from size 6 to a size 8, I brought out the running shoes and turned on the TV for an hour of stretching, bending, leg lifting and toe touching.

  

I turned on to music video channel No. 1 and landed on the appropriately-titled music video of Pedicab's dance-punk song Simulan Mo Na.

Click here ☛ Simulan Mo Na ☚ to watch the video

Then the program host went on. Her high-pitched voice and inane blabbing made my head spin as if I was jogging and smoking at the same time. So I switched on to music video channel No. 2. As much as I appreciate Mariah dissing Eminem for his ungentlemanly comments in her Obsessed video, she's just too much and so were the blonde teeny boppers whose video came out next. There were too many blondes and boobs on the screen.

So in between arm rolls and windmills, I channel surfed and caught the last gap of Nigella Lawson's old cooking show. The luscious fruit and cream dessert she was eating made my heart beat and my leg-raise repetition faster.

Then, the next program began- Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation- Spain! Ah, the motherland of all things fatty and salty! This may sound weird but the sight of chorizos, clams and cheeses just helped me sweat through 90 crunches and 90 butt lift reps. Whew!

For me, watching a good food show is motivation enough to keep the pounds off. That way  I can eat more and still fit into my (not so) skinny jeans.

Here's the link to the 5-part video of No Reservations Spain

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3  Part 4 Part 5

The Maybe Mocha Banana is my version of a health shake. There's enough sugar and potassium in it to give you energy for a good work out and some caffeine to perk you up. It's got fresh fruit in it so doesn't actually score zero on the health score card (*wink).


MAYBE MOCHA BANANA

Ingredients:
4 pieces ripe latundan bananas
1 cup low-fat chocolate drink
1  cup all-purpose cream
1/2 bar dark chocolate  (approx. 75 grams)
1/4 teaspoon coffee granules (make sure it's strong-tasting coffee)
Ice

Peel and cut the bananas into 2 inch portions. Put the banana, low-fat chocolate drink and 1/2 cup of the all-purpose cream in the blender. Blend until the drink has a smooth consistency. Add the coffee granules and blend for 30 seconds. Add more low-fat chocolate drink, as desired.

Put some ice on a tall glass and pour the shake. Whip the all-purpose cream  lightly and slather on top. Grate some dark chocolate and add straw. Serves 3-4 persons.

Green Apple Sardines and Queso de Bola & Parma Ham Omelette

Apples are evil.

Eve. Snow White's stepmom. Aphrodite.

It is part of the villainess 101 tool kit. Luring men to cause wars, putting innocents to eternal sleep and cursing all of humankind to hell on earth. But if you think about it, without the apple, Eve wouldn't have procreated with Adam, Snow White would've found  love in a less dramatic moment and we would never have drooled over a skirt-loving Brad Pitt in the movie Troy. It is the necessary tool of evil that move stories forward.

I had at one time in my work life encountered an apple in the form of a fax message to my staff rallying them to bring my bitchy ass down. Get me fired. Ruin my life. Make me sorry for working them hard. I bit the apple and went through one of the lowest points of my career, turning me to depression. Those dark days, the kind where only the people who truly love you can stand to be with you, forced me to simplify my life. Depression can unravel you until you are naked to the core.

And then you move on. At least I did.

Of the many simple things that gave me joy back then was eating guisadong sardinas with a plate of steaming rice and an omelette on the side.  Here's one of my versions of this comfort food classic featuring that evil little fruit, the apple.

Green Apple Sardines

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 can Ayam Sardines

1 small green apple, cored, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

2 tablespoons water, optional

Sautee garlic in cooking oil until it turns golden brown, then add the onions. When the onions turn translucsent, add the green apples. Stir for a minute or two then add the sardines and soy sauce. You can add a little water as you mix in all the ingredients.  Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.  Serve warm.

Queso de Bola and Parma Ham Omelette

Ingredients:

½ cup grated Queso de Bola (Edam Cheese)

½ cup Parma Ham, chopped

3 eggs

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Beat eggs lightly. Put the pan on low fire and heat the oil. Then, add the eggs. When the eggs turn firm,  place the ham and the cheese on top. When the eggs become more solid and the bottom turns brownish, slide it off the pan on to a plate. Serve hot.

Chicken Redux Cream Soup

It's raining hard and long where I am. This kind of bed weather brings in a lot of memories-- naughty, nice and nasty.

I made my first chicken redux soup on my first year of living together with A. It was the first time I got a bad case of colds with my fever running as high as a dog's IQ.

A. went to work that day, leaving me with my cold meds and a light peck on the forehead. Before the meds could kick in, I was feeling really down and was leaking water from my eyes like a storm cloud because I realized that I missed my moms- my biological mom, my stepmom and A.'s mom. No one was getting mad at me for getting myself wet in the rain. No one was trying to make me put on three tons of clothing to bring the sweat out. I didn't have anyone to lay their palm on my forehead to check if I was still hot. For the first time in my adult life, I wanted my mommy! 

Any one of them. All three of them.

I fell asleep after  my dramatics had subsided and the meds began kicking in. When I woke up hungry, there was nothing in the ref but left over fried chicken. I was too parched to eat anything dry. When I saw the packet of cream of mushroom soup, I got the idea for Chicken Redux Cream Soup. ☂

Ingredients:

At least 2 pieces of left over chicken (any part), minced; skin and bony bits included

2 cups of water

1 small onion, diced

1 can button mushrooms (approx 200 g.), diced

1 can of cream soup (mushroom, chicken, asparagus)

Pour all ingredients on the pan, including bony chicken parts, let boil in medium heat or until the soup consistency is to our liking. Take out chicken bones and ladle yourself a bowl. Should be good for 2-3 helpings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  

Variations:

☞ Use grilled, steamed, broiled or baked chicken if you don't have any fried chicken left overs. Using left over chicken from dishes with too much sauce doesn't work well.

☞ Use fresh vegetables: potatoes, carrots. peas, corn  

☞ Using powdered cream soup:

Pour 1 cup of water into the pan together with the onions, mushrooms, minced chicken and bony chicken parts. Boil in medium heat. Add 1 packet of powdered cream soup diluted in 1 cup of water. Simmer in low heat until consistency is to your liking.

☞ Instant Congee version:

If you have left over white rice, add the rice to your hot soup. I do this when I am too lazy but know that I need a little bit more than soup to fill me up.

☞ Noodle soup version:

Follow the instructions on the noodle soup packet  but add the chicken with the water. This way, the chicken water absorbs the flavor of the chicken.

Chicken soup, the ones with real chicken in it has supposedly been scientifically proven to help cure colds according to this CNN article http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/17/chicken.soup.reut/

CALDERETANG TISAY

A few years back, I caught a local TV show featuring caldereta (beef stewed in tomato sauce and liver sauce) and there was something about the steaming hot meat that called to my inner chef.

I had a long, tiring week at work then but that weekend, I made the dish with what was available in the kitchen. 

My first try, using packed caldereta sauce mix was a success with the hubby and our regular house guests.

Eventually, I developed this recipe using ready-made ingredients that are constantly available from the supermarkets I frequented. I also got inspired by Jamie Oliver’s English stews and my dad’s old school caldereta recipe.

My HK-based friend Rye christened the dish after I served it to him. He remarked that it was the first time he’s had caldereta with olives and chorizo. Mostly, what he’s had would only have green peas, potatoes and carrots in it. You have to understand that most of my friends (including me) are were brought up in lower middle class families where ingredients like olives and chorizos are luxuries. As Rye put it, “pagkain ng mayayamang mestizo.” From there, my caldereta dish gained a nickname and a following amongst friends.

So, here’s the recipe, from my home to yours.

Ingredients:

1 Kg   beef brisket sliced into 3 x 2 inch pieces

water  just enough to cover the meat

500    ml beef stock

4 pcs La Reina Chorizo de Bilbao sliced crosswise into ½ inch rings

4 cloves garlic, skinned

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 pieces onions, medium

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs soy sauce

¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced crosswise

¼ cup pitted black olives, sliced crosswise

800 grams whole peeled tomatoes, canned

400 grams diced tomatoes, canned

200 grams champignon (or button) canned mushrooms, slice in half

2 cans Reno liver spread (85 gms. per can)

15 pieces marble potatoes, cut in half

2 pieces carrots, diced

1 piece green bell pepper, diced

½ tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried basil

¼ tsp dried pepperoncini or chili flakes

Clean the beef and place in a pot. Pour water, making sure that it rises above the meat by at least 1 inch. Add 4 cloves of garlic. Cook in high heat. When the water turns to a rolling boil, set the heat to medium and continue boiling until the meat is tender. Separate the beef from the stock. Set aside.

☞It usually takes a minimum of 2 hours to make beef tender without using a pressure cooker. I usually cook mine for 3-4 hours so the beef becomes as soft as corned beef.

When the beef is tender, place a deep wide, frying pan over medium heat. Heat the olive oil and add the Chorizo de Bilbao. When the chorizo is cooked, add the garlic and onions.

☞The chorizo is cooked when it becomes firm and the oil has seeped out of the sausage, turning all ingredients reddish or brownish.

Add the beef and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. When the beef browns a little, add all the liver spread, tomatoes and mushrooms. Mix well. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Heat the last 2 cups (the parts with the bits of meat) of beef stock. When it boils add in the potatoes. After 5 minutes add the carrots and celery.

Pour the beef and tomato mixture to the beef stock with vegetables. Add the oregano, pepper, dried basil and soy sauce to taste. Mix well. Do not cover and let the liquid evaporate to make the sauce thicker. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add chili flakes. Mix and add the bell pepper and olives. Simmer for 3 minutes.

If the sauce has not reached the consistency you like, remove the meat and vegetables and let the sauce simmer in low heat until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve hot for 5-7 of your friends.

Substitutes:

Beef cuts- I usually buy a 50/50 mix of the pochero and caldereta cuts from the supermarket but you can also try a short ribs and pochero combo.

Beef stock- 1 beef bouillon cube diluted in 500 ml of water.

Chorizo de Bilbao- I use the La Reina brand from Shopwise/Rustans because it’s saltier but you can use the ones that you can buy at any high-end deli (Terry’s or Santi’s) or use 1 can of Purefoods Chorizo Bilbao (using the lard that the sausage is preserved in as oil substitute is not for the faint of heart). The chorizo lends it saltiness and a different layer of pork fat to the dish.

Olives- you can just use green olives I black olives are not available. Capers can be used as substitute.

Celery- you can use more carrots if you can’t find any celery. This adds sweetness to the stock.

Marble potatoes- use regular potatoes. Leave the skin on. You can also opt to fry it separately and add it last. I prefer boiling it, though, as the starch helps thicken the sauce.

*Photo by Elmer Gatchalian