Foot and Fire

One of our guilty pleasures is grabbing salted nuts and those whole grain thingies from the grocery aisle but what I really can't accept is that it is laden with msg, nature-identical flavors and artificial flavor. But out of sheer laziness and often, out of mere conveniece of just grabbing it, I buy.  If I am in my element, I order toasted nuts and dried fruits online and make my own trailmix. From the times I do this up to now, I got some preferences. I am sharing to you my favorites that I am having now: Almonds, toasted whole or slivered (choose unbleached please) Cashew nuts Golden raisins (dark ones tend to moisten) Cranberries, nice sour tones and good to add to stirfries and chao fan Apricot, love it in my moroccan dish and as snacks as it is so filling Some others which I tried with my notes: Walnut (not much as the peel has aftertaste and the Chinese use this as their brainfood. Look at the shape of wanut, it sure looks like brain) Hazelnut (pricey and overrat...

Chicken: One whole chicken, cleaned (rub salt if desired) Pu erh tea steeped in boiling water, drained Star Anise Pinches of Chinese five-spice In a soup pan, put the whole chicken. Pour tea, just enough to cover the chicken. Put the Star Anise and Chinese Five spice. Bring to boil for 15 minutes, then heat in medium heat for 1 hour and 45 mins. Remove the chicken and place in the serving dish. Reserve stock for gravy. Gravy: 3 cups of stock starch, dissolved in water salt soy sauce black pepper Chicken bouillon (if desired) Strain two to three cups of chicken-tea stock to remove solids. Let boil in a sauce pan, add starch and adjust according to desired consistency. Adjust taste with salt, soy sauce and black pepper. Vegetables: olive oil onion, cubed carrots, cubed potato, cubed Bits and pieces of Mushroom in can, drained raisins or pickles Saute onion in olive oil, add carrots and potato. let cook and add mushrooms and raisins/pickles. Put a little liquid by using the stock. Serve t...

4 cups walnut 1 cup raisins 6 cups desiccated coconut 3 cups flour 4 pcs eggs 1 cup canola oil 11/2 cup brown sugar 2 cans condensed milk Grated cheese or pinch of salt (optional) Break whole walnut into pieces and combine raisins in a bowl. Set aside. Combine desiccated coconut and flour in a deep bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, break eggs, add canola oil, beat lightly add sugar. In the coconut-flour mixture, add the egg-oil mixture alternately with milk one portion at a time and mix.  Repeat until all are mixed together.  Add the walnut and raisins, and cheese or salt if desired.  Bake at 180F for 20 minutes. This recipe made about 150 pcs but the macaroons are not uniform in sizes and a small muffin baking tin is needed to hold the batter as the paper tin cannot mold by itself and so that the outcome of the macaroons will be uniform.... Walnut and raisins.... The batter The paper tin cant hold tight The finished product.

This is one fried rice I learned from my father. We were so happy partaking the fried banana on top. And we even grew up calling it morosquita... Hahaha. So today, I uncovered that it is called morisqueta and it is Mexican in origin. The original recipe calls for boiled rice topped with salsa made from tomatoes and beans and cheese. Well, the morisqueta i grew up with is with minced beef, green peas and raisins. And the highlight is the fried bananas on top.... Here, i am sharing my own twist using tuna and sweet corn. Banana Canola oil for frying Canola oil 1 pc oinion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 can Solid tuna in water, drained 1 can sweet corn whole kernel, drained 1 can green peas, drained 3/4 kl boiled rice (day old rice is welcome) Salt, pepper and dried basil Raisins Sesame oil Peel the banana (saba variety), slice vertically Into three parts. Deep fry until brown and set aside. In a skillet, add oil, onion and garlic. Add the next three ingredients and stir ...

By GERLIE M. UY 1 big can of fruit cocktail, drained 1 block cheese, cut into small cube pieces 2 cups raisins 2 cans corn kernels, drained 20 pcs young coconut (buko), shredded (reserve water for the juice) 3 condensed milk 3 all purpose cream Mix all ingredients and refrigerate to chill. Serve as cold dessert! the young coconut!

Mango-Sesame Muffin Muffins, up close and personal mmm, yummy muffins. 3 cups all-purpose flour yummy muffins 11/2 cup sugar   1 1/2 t baking soda 1 1/2 t baking powder  3 t cinnamon powder   3/4 t iodized salt   4 eggs, lightly beaten   1 cup canola oil   1 t calamansi juice   3 cups shredded ripe mangoes   3/4 cup raisins   1/4 cup sesame seeds In a large tin or glass bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil and calamansi juice. Slowly add the latter to the dry ingredients (the former mixture) just until moistened. Then stir in the mango, raisins and sesame seeds.   Fill greased muffin tins with the mixture up to two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from muffin tins.