FINGER FOOD DINNER

Finger Food Dinner

Finger food are all time favorite for kids and adults. For a change I prepare a finger food dinner for my family - mashed potato balls with cheesy centers, five spice chicken wings and nachos with ground beef and tomato salsa. Its a lot of work for the preparation but its worth it. It needs more time for preparation but the cost is less for a well prepared dinner for my family at home

                                               sweet potato, potato and squash

                                                   mashed - potato, sweet potato and  squash

                                                               quickmelt cheese

         

                                        Nachos with ground beef and tomato salsa

Five spice chicken wings

Mashed Potato Balls with Cheesy Centers

(WWW.YUMMY.PH)

Makes 20 to 25 pieces  Prep Time 20 minutes, plus chilling time  
Cooking Time 10 to 15 minutes

500 grams potatoes( i combined sweet potato, potato and squash)
6 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose cream
salt and pepper, to taste 
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 egg yolk
20 to 25 (1-inch) cubes of cheddar 
      or Quickmelt cheese
1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs

For the gravy
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
pinch of dried thyme
3 cups chicken stock or beef stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste

1  Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Boil in salted water until very soft. Drain then mash with a fork.

2  While potatoes are still warm, add butter, cream, salt, and pepper. add minced green onions; mix until well combined. Let cool for a few minutes then add egg yolk. Mix together. refrigerate until firm.

3  Make the gravy: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and  mix well until a paste forms. Let it brown, then add thyme. Slowly pour in stock, whisking briskly to avoid lumps. add bay leaf and simmer until thick. Season with salt and pepper. remove bay leaf before serving.

4  Make the mashed potato balls: Get a spoonful of mashed potato and place a cube of cheese in the middle. Use your hands to form a ball. repeat with remaining ingredients.

5  Place breadcrumbs on a plate. Roll potato balls in crumbs until well-coated. Freeze for about 1 hour or until exterior is quite firm.

6  Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Insert a skewer in each ball. Serve hot with gravy on the side.

HEALTHY DINNER!!!!!!

Whenever my children are at home I see to it that they will eat healthy food. Monday to Friday they were on their own at school, condo and dorm and monitoring what they eat was so hard for me.

Nutritious dinner would ensure that the body receives all the nutrients. Healthy dinner choices go a long way in keeping our family healthy. The reason I see to it that Saturday and Sunday its a complete healthy food for my family.

                                                           STEAMED cabbage salad
                                                 (inspired by Larry Flynt's Cabbage Experience at
                                                        VAN GOGH IS BIPOLAR Restaurant)

                                              LUMPIA TOFU with Hoisin Sauce and Green Salad
                                             (inspired by Oh My Gulay Restaurant at Baguio)

Whenever we eat outside our home, I always try to replicate the menu/cuisine that my family love/enjoyed. We eat once in a while to experience something different and eating out  gave us more family bonding time. You do not have to be rich to experience this, there's so many affordable restaurant outside your home that you could try (maginhawa st in quezon city, in meycauayan - OUR KITCHEN, DAMBU, kubo kubo in Marilao, SESSION,  etc.).

At home,  a simple menu could turn into a 5 star menu if presented properly/differently/beautifully (additional work but the same budget)


STEAM CABBAGE:

1 cabbage
For filling:
centruy tuna/ corn beef
atchara - papaya/ ampalaya
any vegetable available

LUMPIA TOFU

1 block tofu seasoned with salt/pepper/basil
lumpia wrapper
hoisin sauce
any available green salad


VAN GOGH IS BIPOLAR

154 H Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, The Philippines, 1103 Quezon City, Philippines

OH MY GULAY  is on the top floor of La Azotea Building along Session Road. Contact 0918-6676025

COMFORT FOOD during bad weather

I love to cook comfort food specially during bad weather. Class suspension since Monday August 19, extended until August 20 and now its a National Holiday in memory of Ninoy Aquino,so, the kids were all at home. I am not happy because there's no classes, but for me its a blessing indeed because on a regular school days the kids are not at home, and because of the bad weather declaration of class suspension makes them stay at home and be with our very special visitor who will be at our place until August 22.

                                             
                      The Face of Christ (Our special guest August 19-22)


When I want comfort food I will make sea foods, vegetables, and rice. The ritual of it is fun for me, and the creativity of it.

                                    
                                                           Seafoods Sinigang

For a more flavorful sinigang,  I used bayabas (guava) as my souring agent, it was very delicious and instead of kangkong I used MALUNGGAY leaves.

                  Deep-fried squash flowers with ground beef 
                       with Hoisin Sauce as dipping sauce

Squash flowers may sound foreign ingredients to some, but its available in all palengke (wet market) around your place. For the filling I used ground beef and the usual ingredients I am using in making hamburger - worcestershire sauce, black pepper, brown sugar, salt. Then I deep-fried it with tempura batter.


Magandang Umaga Po!!!!!

Kapangpangan's Best (part 2) - ABE'S FARM

We celebrate New Year 2013 at Abe's FArm. A country-side feel is a very relaxing place to start the year.

A dose of fresh air welcome us on our way to Abe's Farm!!!!!!

                       What I loved about the place is how they preserved old wood and old furnitures

                          The traditional " BANGERAHAN", an old way of drying the dishes after washing

 

                                 Surprise to see some work of "UGU BIGYAN" my favorite potter

                                                  ONe of my favorite place the kitchen

  

 

 

                                                              Kare-kare

                                                              Pinakbet

                                                            Arobung Kamaru (Farm Crickets)

                                            SINUAM OF FRESH NATIVE CORN

                                           Binukadkad na Tilapia with Balo-balo and mustasa

This is a very good place for family bonding, more time to relax and talk about life..................



Abe's Farm
98 Livestock Village, Barangay Ayala,
Magalang, Pampanga
(045)856-1930
(0917)8085187
http://abesfarm.com.ph/

Prado Farm - part 2

EATING BREAK 

The Prado salad is a mix of fresh picked greens. I never thought that ALUGBATI can be combine with aragula and other green vegetable as fresh salad. WE are welcome with unlimited lemongrass tea.

                                                          Me  and Reimon

                                                    A violinist who serenade us while were eating

                            A morning "merienda" gua gua pandesal, kesong puti and longganisa