Out with the Old, In with the New: Introducing, Doña Elena Olive Oil's New Look

 
In the new normal world, we crave for nourishments that is healthy, affordable, and something that is easy to create home-cooked meals. And why not?  Most people will agree that cooking is a way we can bring some order and a sense of pleasure in our lives right now. 

Whether you’ve been looking for ways on how to cook deliciously affordable meals or wanting to feel empowered in the kitchen, Doña Elena, the country’s no. 1 olive oil inspires you with some thoughtful ideas that won’t only sustain, but will also bring comfort during this time of corona.

 A new look that you’ll love: Introducing the new Doña Elena Olive Oil bottle that’s recognizable for patrons and accommodating for first-time users

 

Celebrated for its perfected combination of premium-quality olives directly sourced and harvested from the farms of Andalucia in Spain, Doña Elena Olive Oil has been dominating the market for a full decade now. We break down what makes Doña Elena Olive Oil the ideal choice in preparing home-cooked, restaurant-quality meals that will inspire you to cook healthily at home!

 

Packed with the good stuff

What separates Doña Elena Olive Oil from the rest of the field is its ability to take an already-healthy dietary staple up a notch and make it even fuller in flavor.

 

Extracted from the fruit of olive trees, olive oil defines the Mediterranean diet. Countries like Spain and Greece that have it as part of their native cuisine touts some of the world’s healthiest populations, thanks in large part to the health benefits of olive oil. 

Doña Elena Olive Oil is a blend of high-quality hojiblanca and picual olives Doña Elena’s offerings, in particular, are rich in good fats and oxidants through the combination of two types of olives, hojiblanca and picual. Each bottle contains 80% monounsaturated oleic acids, which is proven to regulate insulin and support weight management according to research. The heart-friendly fat is also known for supporting the health of the heart and enhancing brain function. These two organs could be hit by COVID-19, studies say.

 

Doña Elena Olive Oil comes loaded with high levels of antioxidants like polyphenols and is packed with vitamins E, K, and A that helps lower bad cholesterols.

 

Everything for anything

As diverse as the health advantages of olive oils are in its applications, Doña Elena Olive Oil comes in three variants to make any type of dish shine with flavorful and aromatic taste. There’s Extra Virgin for dips and salad dressing; Pure Olive Oil for pasta and everyday cooking; and Pomace for roasting and frying.

 

What’s more, Doña Elena Olive Oil is the only brand that offers the most comprehensive sizes. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen rookie, Doña Elena’s Pure, Extra Virgin, and Pomace are conveniently available in 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 Liter, and 5 Liter PET bottle sizes so you have all the options for every purpose and need.

 

As tasty as it looks

To make sure that the packaging of Doña Elena Olive Oil does justice to its quality, a renowned French designer was tasked in 2017 to create a new bottle befitting a well-loved premium quality product. The result is a strengthened brand identity that is at the same time recognizable to patrons and accommodating to first-time users.

 

Doña Elena Olive Oil’s carefully curated bottle design is a stand-out for its elegant and functional design

 

The new packaging includes two significant, fine engravings on the bottle that are exclusively Doña Elena: the Doña Elena insignia near the top, and the olive fruit near the base. Another detail that customers enjoy is the usage recommendation per variant that is printed on the label, making it easier to choose the right olive oil for your cooking needs.

 

For whatever occasion, Doña Elena Olive Oil comes through as the perfect culinary companion in preparing delicious meals that are good for the health and light on the wallet.

 

Doña Elena Olive Oil is available in all groceries and supermarkets nationwide. Buy online beginning November 20 at www.AceMarket.ph.  

 

#QuakerStrongRecipes: Chef Miko Aspiras Quaker Oats Cream Pie

Corona Virus is real, it's too real to me as I'm nearly drowned with sorrow.  You see I never realized it could really affect everyone until it had hit us.  My parents in Milan, Italy got the virus and so does my siblings and their families, including the kids.  Sadly, my mom got deeply impacted as she already had been suffering from acute kidney disease and having her dialysis at their home, even though they are careful, they still got the dreaded virus and my mom perished in the hospital. 

More than ever, we have to take Covid 19 seriously, and so does other viruses.  We never knew when or how it may hit us, but if our immunity is strong enough we will survive.  

I'm thankful I have several munchies and supplements at home that does the job so well of keeping my family protected. One of that is Quaker Oatmeal.  I've had it all my life and I didn't really realize that it too can be very helpful in boosting our immunity, warding off virus threats.  I thought it's just a good way of keeping our guts and hearts healthy as it is rich in soluble fiber beta-glucan. which reduces cholesterol and blood sugar levels, promotes healthy gut bacteria and increases feelings of fullness.      

Milk and Eggs Aice Ice Cream Made to Boost Immune System

I'm sure many have already tried a certain variety of Aice Ice Cream, one, because it's the most affordable ice cream on stick and has lots of flavors to choose from.  

Did you know that Aice originated from Singapore?

Sau Tao Noodles and Sauces Now in Shopee

Sau Tao Non-Fried Instant Bowl Noodle with XO Sauce 100g

Don't you just find it so convenient to shop online?  With just a click of a button from Shopee.Ph, your cravings are satisfied and in a few days it will arrive in your doorstep without having to worry about roadblocks, traffic and not even the dreaded viruses.

While scrolling through Shopee, I found an interestingly new brand of noodles and sauces.  If you knew me, and have been around quite lately here in my blog, you can tell that I love cooking Italian dishes, but there are times that I want to delve right into Chinese cuisine and for a fact, the Chinese makes sure that their noodles are as good as the European counterpart and above all the sauces.  I guess, it's not anymore a question where soy sauce originated from, right?  So it's just right to point out that great tasting dishes full of umami came from the Chinese people, and Sua Tao does fall on that category.

One Peso City Blends Coffee and up to 50% off on over 150 items await you on 7-Eleven Day! #711

Team 7-Eleven! Are you ready for some exclusive deals and discounts?  

7-Eleven Philippines is gearing up for another #711Day on July 11 with a lineup of deals just for YOU—their loyal customers!

 Being on quarantine won’t stop 7 Eleven from finding ways to bring more convenience during these tough times. In fact, this year’s birthday is all about giving back.

RWM Brings Thrills To Your Homes this Father’s Day

 

Give the man of the house an unforgettable celebration at the comfort of your own homes with Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) thrilling offers for Father’s Day.

DINE WITH DAD. Treat your dad to a Casa Buenas feast at home with the two set menu choices from Pa Buenas Pa More party package for only Php 3,500net per set, good for 4-6 pax.

Easy Tofu Curry

I was able to order a large packet of curry and turmeric powder from an online shop as my daughter makes her own whitening cream out of the latter herb.  After checking our pantry for ingredients to cook for our lunch, I realized I don't have enough herbs and spices, and the above mentioned are what I have in fairly good quantity.  These couple of days, we had loads and loads of fat and protein-rich ready-to-cook frozen food and the family needed a break from it. Aside from canned tuna and sardines, we also have tofu left in the fridge from hubs' last grocery trip, so I decided to mix the two and remembered the curry noodles I also made a couple of months back which have some shrimps in it.

Chicken and Pork in Milk

I have embraced my weirdness and it's not accidental that it somehow shows in how I enjoy my food and prepare a meal for the family.  My kids would catch me slathering thick mango jam over a grilled cheese and would banter with "Why Mommy!?"

I'm happy that my kids seldom complain, I guess they got used to me whipping up a storm using recipes unearthed from the strangest cook book.  And I'm happy we all are adventurous foodies and our tastes for unique cuisines are one that makes us a family.

So, on with the another weird dish, chicken and pork to be exact.  When I was thinking what to  do with a beautiful whole chicken from Backyard Farms, the first thing that came into my mind was to bake it.  The meats I had from Backyard Farms are just so special, that all I could think of was to make something special, like it's someone's birthday, well, after all, we had two quarantine birthdays that we celebrated and this time feeling overwhelmed yet comforted that we made it through despite the onset issues. Isn't that a reason to celebrate?

What’s so special with Bacakyard Farms, btw?

Backyard Farms chickens are pasture-raised, free of hormones and antibiotics, vacuum sealed and fresh frozen.

Are you ready for the weird, special dish I'll be sharing?  I bet you've guessed it already, seeing the title of this blog.  Yes, I used more than two cups of milk for this recipe, I was going to bake the chicken in milk but I couldn't wait to two hours till we can savor it.  I used my handy-dandy Instant Pot, it's a lifesaver, took me only an hour max to prepare everything.  As outlandish as this may be, well, you can tell it off to one of the famous celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver.

Before I begin with my version of Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk, there's actually a backstory to this.  When I was young and my mother would come home from vacation, as she was working in Milan, Italy, she would roast a whole chicken basted in fresh milk.  It was a labor of love, actually, but me and my siblings thought it might not come out as delicious as my father would do it, he bastes the chicken with a seasoning that has Sprite in it. From what I remember she just seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and added whole potatoes on the tray, and in the middle of the roasting she poured a cup of milk in the chicken and did it again several times and with a ladle, the dripped sauce which has turned into cream colored was used to baste the chicken some more.

To make sure I get everything right, I turned to Google and found Jamie Oliver’s recipe.  However, I don’t have fresh sage but I do have dried ones so I used that instead and also used powdered cinnamon in replace of the cinnamon stick.  It’s up to you as long as you have the kind of ingredients in your pantry, let me tell you it will work, even with the sound of lemon peel present in the recipe.


Recipe:

Chicken and Pork in Milk


Ingredients:

1 (3 to 4 pound) whole chicken
500 g. pack pork steak
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp powdered cinnamon or 1 small cinnamon stick
10 cloves garlic, skins left on
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 Tbsp. dried sage or 1 handful of fresh sage, around 15 to 20 leaves
peels from 2 lemons

Procedure:

Using Instant Pot

1.  Season the chicken aggressively with the salt and pepper.
2.  Using the instant pot,  use the sauté setting, put in the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the chicken to the pot and fry it, turning every few minutes, until it has browned all over.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot place it onto a plate, brown the pork, then drain off all but a few tablespoons of the fat from the pot.
4.  On the oil, sauté the garlic, add the cinnamon and allow them to sizzle for a minute or 2, then return the chicken and pork to the pot along with the milk and sage.
5. Add the lemon peel to the pot as well.  Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set to Poultry in Medium Pressure for 15 minutes.

Using regular Pot

1.  Season the chicken aggressively with the salt and pepper.
2.   Use a pot that would fit the whole chicken snuggly.  Turn the stove on to medium fire and drop the oil and butter.  When the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the chicken to the pot and fry it, turning every few minutes, until it has browned all over.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot, place it onto a plate, brown the pork, then drain off all but a few tablespoons of the fat from the pot.
4. 4.  On the oil, sauté the garlic, add the cinnamon and allow them to sizzle for a minute or 2, then return the chicken and pork to the pot along with the milk and sage.
5. Add the lemon peel to the pot as well.  Cook for 1 to 1/2 hours, until the chicken is cooked all through out.
6. Optional, you may cook it for 45 minutes and cook in the preheated oven for 1 and half hours more, basting the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced into a thick, curdled sauce. (If the sauce is reducing too quickly, put a cover halfway onto the pot.)

We enjoyed this with piping hot rice, you may opt to enjoy this with fries or steamed veggies.

I love how tender and flavorful the chicken had become, while the pork just almost melts in your mouth tender.  While the sauce is, well, odd but the spices worked well with each other, the lemon peel and cinnamon giving the aromatic indulgence and that unique flavor you won’t find anywhere else!  As for the milk, you won’t taste it anymore as the acidity form the lemon peels have broken it down, and the sauce ended up looking similar to an Asian curry.

Will surely make this again and will try to use fresh sage once I get to source out some.

Kale Pesto

Just before the announcement of ECQ and when the pandemic scare became really apparent, our family were enjoying highland produce care of Michelle of MyMomFriday.  One of our favorite veggie to order from her is the Kale and Spinach.  We used to have kale plants but for some reason, it didn't thrive.  Hopefully we can start growing it again and many other veggies.

Leafy kale is considered as a superfood (in the range of spinach) and is filled with  fiber, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins C and K, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients that can help prevent various health problems.  You can enjoy it on salads and I love it for juicing as well.

Curry Hummus for All Your Snacking

Our family loves our mini snacks (so as our big snacks) just as much as we love our three meals, but during this pandemic, only me and my husband (plus the baby) and one of our kids would either have breakfast or lunch.  As most of the time our kids are awake at night time (until the dawn strikes) playing online games or watching their favorite series. So, I have to leave them a hearty snack so that whenever they go out of their individual bedrooms they can find something in the fridge or the pantry to fill their tummies.