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.

Cream Cheese Pound cake by Martha Stewart

Finally! Yes, finally, a blog entry in the midst of a global pandemic.  I’m jubilant not only because it’s an Easter celebration, a reason to share good times with good people over good food. When I say good people, it meant my family, and I’m one proud mom to see my kids growing in God’s plan and purpose. 

And can I say, I’m again proud! Proud of myself to have whipped up a classic baked favorite and, with a baby in tow. 

I could have made the most moist chocolate cake or a fruity cheesecake but I chose to make Martha Stewart’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake. 

Pastry Dessert Board Planning for Christmas

OMG!  OMG!

Christmas is around the bend and our home is a complete mess!

Are you like me or are you the type of mom who had everything planned out well?  

Another thing I want to raise up is the one problem with Christmas that many of us have - keeping everyone happy as if trying to achieve the impossible.  Of course, when one becomes a parent, the children have been the focus. Every Christmas, you always think of what to gift the kids with, and what they want to wear for their Christmas parties plus what they will give to their teaches and classmates.  It's the season of giving after all so let's not be fussy about that.

Black Sheep Coffee in MOA

Was instantly drawn to this cafe when I was checking the internet for a new coffee place near our place.  After buying a new charm for my Pandora bracelet, husband-approved and paid for, we made sure to visit this place and try out of course their coffee. 

Seaking Marks 20th Anniversary with Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon Line

Such an awe-inspiring event the 20th Anniversary of Seaking was.  I thought I came for the Salmon dishes but ended up getting lessons and life inspiration from the Uy family.  The celebration started with a teary message from Jennifer Uy-Ampon telling stories of how she and her siblings would help their parents with their Bangus-selling business by deboning the fish in the house they grew up with.

Armed with only a small-startup capital, the Seaking brand was literally built by their own hands. Through their hard work, resilience, and determination, Seaking has become an industry leader and a household name.  It was my choice of frozen deboned Bangus brand.

Three-sisters and a brother, kinda looks like my family, plus a 6 month-old baby.  That's keeping my hopes up as my kids don't care a bit about our business.  As I was looking at them on the stage, greeting us guests, I was praying, I wish someday my kids would grow up to be as successful as them, working hand in hand to sustain and manage the family business.  But I hope it wouldn't take 20 years for me to see that.

“As the great Walt Disney said, all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. We intend to continue delivering quality products and through our passion, we have not only captured the hearts of the Filipinos but their trust and confidence in the Seaking brand,” Jennifer Uy Ampon shares.

How can you not trust her words!...

Makati Shangri-la Hotel was shaken with an assemblage of media, family, friends and business partners as Superb Catch Inc., the company behind trusted seafood brand Seaking celebrated its 20th anniversary last Nov. 8, 2019.  To say it was a blast was an understatement as each guest was up on their feet, all excited to get their names called for the outrageously good prizes for the raffle.

What made Seaking, a king in the industry is how they ensure the highest product standards of their products.

Seaking has continuously adhered to the following principles:

1. Fresh frozen seafood
2. Strict production process
3. International food standard approved operation

It starts off with the fish carefully selected, deboned, marinated/smoked, packed/labeled, and vacuum sealed. They follow a first in, first out policy so the fish is always fresh.

What started as a frozen milkfish business has developed into a full-blown seafood line which includes Cream Dory, Squid, Bottled Bangus, and their newest offering -- their Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon line.

At the celebration, we were introduced to their newest line of products - the best and healthiest type of salmon all the way from Alaska, Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon.  Three gourmet salmon dishes were paraded and were served to the guests.

Farmed salmon are grown in crowded fish pens and sea cages. They are fed pellets made with chemicals and are considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Wild salmon are born in rivers and spend their adult lives in the ocean. They feed on fresh shrimp, crab, and krill. Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon is one of the best sources of seafood protein and naturally occurring Omega 3. Omega 3 can help improve heart health, enhance the immune system, and even reduce the risk of diabetes. Seaking offers four (4) cuts of Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon: Chunks, Belly, Steak, and Slab. Seaking is the first wild salmon retailer in the Philippines.

Seaking products can be found in more than 1,500 supermarkets, restaurants, and hotel chains in the Philippines. Their products are also exported to countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and USA among others. From a home-based operation back in 1999, Seaking has grown to encompass a 20,000sqm processing plant which will be fully operational in January 2020.


For more information, log on to https://www.seaking.com.ph/ and https://www.facebook.com/seaking.ph/ .

Monga, Taiwan's Famous Fried Chicken and Milk Tea is Now in SM MegaMall

When my husband and I finally decided to enlarge our foodie territory, we had Taiwan already in mind and the next thing we knew is flying our tastebuds off to the land of snacks.  However, what was so funny was that we were unable to have milk teas and chicken.  But we opted not to sigh about it as we tasted the very best oolong teas and tons of famous food in the country, we visited three night markets and scoured the alleys of Jiufen.