BLT Salad

Who says that BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomatoes) are only good for sandwiches? How about a BLT Salad?

BLT Salad is a salad dish composed of cooked bacon, lettuce, and cherry (or grape tomatoes). Aside from these three main ingredients, there are other important components such as avocado, lemon, and cucumber.

I wish I can say that BLT salad is a healthier alternative for BLT Sandwich. While the “B” (Bacon) is around, the word “tasty” is more proper to use than “healthy”. Although, this is really a very nice tasting salad dish.

7 Healthy Recipes for Diabetics

Diabetes is a group of diseases portrayed by high blood sugar levels (glucose in particular) that results from the body’s inability to produce insulin (Type 1 Diabetes) or the inability of the body to use insulin (Type 2 Diabetes).
Sadly, there is no proven cure for Diabetes at this time. However, constant medications and a change in lifestyle such as eating habits and food choices can control this chronic disease and help maintain a normal life.

When it comes to food, diabetics should eat lesser carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Among the three food groups, carbohydrate control should be prioritized because it is responsible in producing a huge percentage of glucose in a person’s blood.

Tikoy

Tikoy or Nián gāo is a type of rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and considered as a centerpiece during Chinese New Year. This is also popularly known as Chinese New Year pudding.

The Philippines is once considered as the melting pot of Asia. People of different origins call it home – including the Chinese. Chinese customs, traditions, and good food were embraced by the Filipino’s and even make it a part of their own.

The legend behind the Tikoy tells about a Kitchen God that observes the behavior of each family for a year. It was said the Kitchen God goes back to heaven before the Chinese New Year to report the findings; a depressing report would mean a year of bad luck for the family. According to the legend, feeding sticky rice cake to the Kitchen God will make it difficult for him to say anything against the family – it will be difficult to speak when his mouth is full and the sticky rice cake will keep his mouth shut.

How do you want your Tikoy cooked? I like mine dipped in beaten egg and fried.

Happy Chinese New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

10 Filipino foods that will surely keep you warm in Winter

We are currently experiencing a winter storm here in the Midwest. About a foot of snow has piled-up outside and it will still accumulate overnight. I wanted to shoot some videos but I felt so lazy – must be the weather.

After having some hot soup for dinner, I thought of writing an article about Filipino foods that can help us feel warm and comfortable during the cold days – and this is it. Since its almost midnight, I don’t have the time to create a long list and do some extensive research. I’m thinking of starting with 10 foods that we already featured before and I am relying on you guys to help me add more .

Food Review:Panda Express Beijing Beef

I felt that I needed a quick bite as I drove home from work. Luckily, I was about to pass-by a Panda Express location and decided to grab a box for dinner. I got a 2 entrée plate consisting of Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, and Chow Mein for sides.

Let’s not talk about Orange chicken and Chow Mein for now because my attention is focused solely on Beijing Beef. However, you might want to check our Orange Chicken recipe post if you want to know more about it. As for the Chow Mein, the closest recipe that we have is the Pancit Canton- which I think is a better alternative.

There isn’t really anything extra-ordinary about the Beijing Beef – but I still like to have it once in a while. The flavor is probably the main reason why I like it. I am a fan of sweet and sour pork and this dish is pretty much similar – that is if you raise it to the next level. You’ll understand what I’m trying to say once you try one. After the first bite, the tangy taste immediately permeates in your mouth leaving you speechless – looking forward to the next bite. Since the flavor is so rich, it is advisable to balance it by having some sides (such as rice or noodles) while munching. The texture is unique compared to the other Chinese beef dishes that I had, so far. It also has the consistency of a fried flank steak but tender when chewed.

Tuyo: Smelly but Lovely

It has been more than a week since I last posted an article for our What’s Cooking section so I decided to write something about what I had for breakfast this morning. After taking a shower and brushing my teeth twice, I’m now inspired to write something about one of my favorite breakfast foods: Tuyo.

Tuyo refers to salted dried fish (usually herring); this is also known as stockfish in some countries. In the Philippines, tuyo is considered as a poor mans food because of its cheap price – however, this connotation has been expunged over the years since people of different social status learned to love and enjoy it. This can be justified by the different recipes involving tuyo; these ranges from fried tuyo to gourmet pasta with tuyo.

Ube Halaya

Ube Halaya is a dessert made from boiled and grated purple yam which is locally known in the Philippines as “Ube”. Aside from Ube Halaya, different desserts and pastries such as ice cream, tarts, and cakes makes use of this root crop.

In this presentation, I used a ready-made boiled grated ube that I got from the Asian store. Having a prepared product such as this saves me time but I still prefer making this dessert from scratch using uncooked purple yam (If only there is any available). For those who are using uncooked purple yam – simply boil and mash them before proceeding with the steps below.

Cassava Cake

Cassava Cake is a classic Filipino dessert made from grated cassava or manioc, a woody shrub where the starch that is used to make tapioca are derived.

Being a popular dessert, different recipe versions are available for Cassava Cake. This recipe is my personal favorite. Our good friend, Sharon, was kind enough to share this with us. I also got her permission to share it with you guys. I hope that you’ll like it.

Try this delicious Filipino dessert: Cassava Cake.

Happy Fathers Day and Happy Birthday @ Ruby Tuesday

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!!! We all did a great job this year so let’s enjoy our day.

Father’s day for this year landed on June 21. This is a double celebration for my family because it happens to be my wife’s birthday too. We went to Ruby Tuesday to celebrate both occassions. We all had a great time eating together.

Since I’m trying to be health conscious, I ordered a healthy dish(:P). Can you guess what my order was from the images below?

Bon Voyage

Last friday, we threw a simple despedida (Farewell party) for our friend Tess, Noel, and baby Nathan. We all met with all our Filipino friends for a potluck dinner to bid them farewell and wished them a safe trip.

After working here in Illinois for quite some time, Tess and Noel decided to return to the Philippines to catch-up with family and friends and once more enjoy the wonderful things that our country could offer.

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