Simple Christmas Feast

Noche Buena

Barbecued spareribs

appetizer (chili spring rolls)

lumpia shanghai

shrimps in chives and chili sauce

steamed blue crabs

Merry Christmas, everyone!

from: your cooking mom and her family!

Bistek, Alimango at Biko

My eldest daughter, Rafee, is here for a short Christmas vacation. She arrived last Saturday morning via the early Cebu Pacific flight from Manila.

Upon arriving home, we had this ground beef cooked Pinoy Bistek style with fried potatoes on the side served for brunch.

For Sunday, I prepared steamed crabs with lots of garlic bits . . . and

my very special biko!

My daughter will be here for only two weeks before she goes back to Manila for her studies so am doing all I can despite the busy sched to prepare dishes special to my heart! :-D

Stir Fried Eggplant

My eggplant in the garden is in the peak of its fruiting season. Much to mine and my neighbor's delight. There is not a single day now that we do not have eggplant in our dish.

Over the weekend, I made this stir fried eggplants with thai chilies. So easy to make with all the ingredients around.

ciao!

Jasmine's Treat

My youngest kid, Jasmine, surprised me with her honors card and ribbon proudly posted in our ref when I arrived home from an out of town trip yesterday. The ever busy mom felt guilty upon realizing the effort exerted by my baby to be acknowledged :-D

Aside from the hugs and kisses we gave her, I prepared extra special tuna balls for her and her classmates to feast on during their christmas party today.

The busy mom woke up very early to prepare a super healthy piece for the KD II of GSC Elementary School for the Arts :-D. Sliced into small bits a lot of carrots, bell pepper, and spring onions. Opened a 1.8 kilo can of tuna flakes in oil, drained this thoroughly and seasoned it with a dash of salt, pepper and sesame oil. Combined everything in a bowl and with the freshest eggs around, the mixture was completed.

I then formed the mixture into balls and fried it in vegetable oil. The end result made me heave a big sigh of relief for Jasmine now has the tastiest and healthiest tuna meatballs to bring to their potluck.

Sweet blend catsup served as dip. My food tasters in the house all exclaimed "ang sarap!" when given a sample. :-D

I hope the KD II pupils of GSCSA enjoyed it as much also!

Another Yummy Weekend Brunch

Again, woke up very early last Saturday and had my morning walk at Gensan's wet market. Fresh seafoods spread out by the vendors in front of the bustling supermarket crowd made me wish for more weekends to come :-D

Here are my top picks for our Saturday brunch!

Seaweed (lato) salad

This is very rich in iodine and several minerals. Best served with sliced fresh tomatoes, calamansi, onions and Thai chilies. Drizzling it with organic vinegar is a welcome add on.

Paksiw na Buntot ng Tuna (Tuna Tail)

This is not only tasty but budget-friendly as well :-D

Ingredients:
ginger, garlic, pepper corns, thai chilies, fresh from the garden talong/eggplant
organic vinegar, vegetable oil, water, salt

Best cooked in a pot that is open while it is boiling - to let the acid escape. After awhile cover the pot again and simmer over low heat.

This dish is best served with plain rice (lots of it!) :-D