Asian Themed Thanksgiving Dinner

Asian Themed Thanksgiving Dinner

***

Thanksgiving is an American tradition.

We are Asians and we don't really celebrate 

Thanksgiving where I come from.

But I still greet all my friends and relatives

living in the States and I do have a lot to be

thankful for. So, in my own small way,

I toiled all afternoon to cook this

Asian Themed Thanksgiving Dinner

for the HubB and my Son.

A turkey would be too much for the three of us,

so I just roasted a big chicken.
Oven Roasted Turmeric & Garlic Chicken
and made  Spicy Clam & Squid Soup
Yasai Itame  & Nasi Goreng.

To end our meal, I served BananaQ,
 Sweetened Fried Plantains,
a common street food in Manila.

I am grateful for all my blessings,
appreciative of my family and friends who pray
for my son and most thankful to the
HubB & Alvin.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Oven Roasted Turmeric & Garlic Chicken

Oven Roasted Turmeric & Garlic Chicken

***

Ingredients:

1 kilo Whole Chicken

3 T Turmeric Powder

1 t, Salt

1/2 t. MSG (Optional)

2 T Ginger / Sliced

1 pc Onion / Sliced

2 pcs. Whole Garlic

Procedure:

Preheat the oven at 350F or 180C.

Mix the turmeric, salt & MSG.

Rub the chicken with this mixture.

Place the ginger and onion at the

bottom of the roasting pan or Pyrex dish.

Put the chicken on this bed of onion and ginger.

Put the garlic on the pan.

Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake & Roast for an hour.

Remove the foil and Roast

until the chicken is golden brown

or the skin is crunchy.

Serve with Nasi Goreng, Yasai Itame

and Spicy Clam & Squid Soup.

YUMMY!!!

Spicy Clam & Squid Soup

Spicy Clam & Squid Soup

***

Ingredients:

1 T. Cooking Oil

1 T. Chopped Garlic

1 pc Onion Sliced Thinly

1 T. Ginger Sliced Thinly

Red & Green Pepper Sliced

2 T. Chopped Celery

1 Kilo Clams

2 cups Chopped Squid

2 T. Fish Sauce

1 Pack Tom Yum Paste

Procedure: 

Saute the garlic, onion, peppers, ginger

and celery in cooking oil.

Add 750 ml. of water or soup stock.

Once it starts to boil, add the Tom Yum paste.

then, add the clams.

When the clams start to open,

add the squid. 

Season with fish sauce, a bit of salt.

(You may garnish with fresh cilantro/wansoy, if available.)

Serve HOT.

Yasai Itame

Yasai Itame is Japanese Stir-Fry Mixed Vegetables

***

Ingredients:

1 T. Cooking Oil

1 pc. Onion (Sliced Thinly)

2 T. Red / 2 T. Green Pepper (Sliced Thinly)

2 T. Carrots  (Sliced Thinly)

3 cups Bean Sprouts

2 cups Cabbage / shredded

2 T Soy Sauce

1/2 T Sugar

1 T. Sesame Oil

Procedure:

Saute the onions, peppers, carrots, cabbage

and bean sprouts in cooking oil.

Add the soy sauce and sugar.

Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Turn off the fire, then add the sesame oil.

Mix and serve warm.

***

Nasi Goreng

Nasi Goreng means Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 T. Minced Garlic

1 T. Minced Onion

1 T. Minced Red Bell Pepper

1 T. Minced Green Pepper

1 T. Minced Celery

1 pc Large Egg / slightly beaten

1 sachet Nasi Goreng Spice

3 cups Cooked Rice 

Procedure:

Saute the garlic, onion, bell peppers, celery

in 1 T. of cooking oil.

Add the slightly beaten egg.

Mix, then, set aside.

Put the rice on the same pan and fry for a few minutes.

Add 1 T of the Nasi Goreng Spice,

a bit of salt and MSG (optional).

Then, add the aromatics and egg mixture.

Mix well.

Serve warm with fried sweet bananas.

***

Thank you to Dr. Angela for the Nasi Goreng Spice.

Matam-ih, Authentic Kapampangan Restaurant, Clark, Angeles, Pampanga

Matam-ih

Authentic Kapampangan Restaurant

***

Authentic ... of undisputed origin, genuine.

What can be more authentic than Betute? 

That's deep fried stuffed frogs!

We've had stuffed frogs in other Kapampangan

restaurants but this dish tastes so much better than the 

one we've tried in the other older "Cafe for Everybody".

(I hope you got the name of the other place.)

The stuffed frogs were deep fried, quite crunchy,

no "fishy" taste nor smell and seasoned well, unlike

 in the other cafe, where the frogs and all the other

dishes are pre-cooked and are heated once the customer

points to the dishes that he likes.

It took quite a long while before the food got to our table.

But that's perfectly alright.  The dishes were hot, not just

warm, cooked fresh and not just heated up in a microwave.

***

This is Crispy Crunchy Crocodile.

May not be authentic kapampangan, 

but definitely exotic.

How did it taste like?

It didn't taste like chicken, pork, beef or fish.

The meat was white, firm, not soft, not chewy.

The spicy vinegar dipping sauce complemented

the crunchy, crispy croc. Masarap ito!

***

Took a photo of their Eksotik Menu.

Son wanted the salagubang, but it wasn't available.

It's November.  These exotic bugs are abundant

before the rainy season starts,

around late May or early June.

***

Buro and steamed vegetables.

Pinakbet

Bamboo Shoots

Laing

The girls ordered most of the vegetable dishes.

Tried to eat healthy after eating an entire Crispy Pata!

Crispy Pata

Bistek

Pancit Bihon ... now this was mine!

I always eat pancit with rice.

But I would never be able to finish this entire bowl. 

The waitress said it is good for 2 to 3 people.

Hmmm ... matatakaw na nga kami but 6 of us shared

this huge bowl of delicious at mainit na pancit.

We got two bowls of pancit and took home the other bowl.

The rice is wrapped in banana leaves.

Each pack contains about one and a half cups of rice.

***

This was our server.

Notice her name?

Nagulat talaga ako sa name niya.

She said that they are given names of movie stars

for the customers to remember easily.

These two young Aeta

 boys provided the entertainment.

They cracked jokes and sang songs.

I requested them to sing Pusong Bato ... hahaha

Gave them a big tip though.

Guess what?  They waited for me to go out of the

restaurant and thanked me. 

Nice gesture.

***

I shall bring the Hubby, SIL, niece and nephews
here ASAP!!!

First Saturday Prayer Mses

First Saturday Prayer Mses at Kogi

***

These dedicated and devoted ladies make me go to Mass

every first Saturday of each month.

I am lucky to have these good people in my life.
***

After praying for each other, 

we have lunch in Eastwood 

at Kogi, our favorite Korean restaurant.

Good friends are like angels ...

Good friends are like angels.

 I don't always get to see these angels,

 but I know they'll be around 

when I need them most.

 Great to be with Ma. Angela G. Gonzalez

👼👼👼💛💛💛

Precious moment with my bff Mitchie ...

Precious moment with my bff Mitchie & her hubby, Art, at Zensho yesterday. Last time we were together was two years ago in SFO. Thank you for always making time to see me. No need for pasalubong. (but I really ♡ all of your gifts.) I appreciate your viber calls and messages Mitchie. Have a fun vacation! Hope to see you again before heading back to the States. ♡♡♡

Halloween 2015 / Prayer Gathering for Dad

Halloween Dinner with Ms. Piggy

Halloween Desserts

...

Warning... with no intention to scare you to death.

But if you eat a lot of all these high calorie foods,

it could lead to an early death.

Now that is scary!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!