Noodle craze: Cheesy chicken spaghetti

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Whenever I want to cook something quick and easy, I always lean towards pasta. Pasta would also be at the center of the dining table whenever we have a family celebration, especially birthdays. Now, I’m tomato based pasta type of girl and majority of the family prefers cream based sauces. I just prefer the flavor a tomato offers and I find cream based pasta bland for my taste, maybe it how it is cooked – maybe. Fortunately, I have found a cream-based pasta that exudes so much flavor and it has the perfect balance of salty, savory and creaminess.

First and foremost let us prepare all the ingredients that we need. Thaw the chicken breast fillet ahead of time especially if you do not prefer the microwave method of thawing then gather all the vegetables that you’ll be needing. Slice the red onions thinly, crush the garlic with the help of the mortar and pestle, dice the bell pepper and tomatoes. As for the dry ingredients, you have to gather them as well. Open the cans that need to be opened, measure and set aside the powder ingredients. Lastly, you’ll have grate cheddar cheese. Once the chicken is completely thawed, you’ll need to slice it into strips and you’re all done with prep, now let the cooking begin!

Depends on what you like to do first, but I like to cook the pasta first. In a large pot of boiling water, sprinkle some salt then add the spaghetti noodles. Let that cook for ten (10) minutes. Next, you’ll need to have a medium-sized saucepan half-filled with water. Add the chicken bouillon, onion powder and garlic powder then place the chicken. Let it boil for 20 minutes. Once that’s done, take the chicken out and let it cool. Set aside 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.

On a saute pan, with two (2) tablespoons of canola oil saute the garlic and onions until its golden brown and translucent. Time to add the tomatoes, mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook the tomatoes until they’re soft and the mushrooms and bell pepper are tender. After that, pour in the cream of chicken, chicken broth, chicken strips and grated cheese. Make sure to mix well then you’re good to go.

Just a few pointers with regards to the pasta. Adding olive oil or any type of cooking oil to the water that cooks the noodles is optional. I’ve recently discovered that yes it may help from sticking, but the noodles won’t be able to absorb the sauce. Another pointer is to make sure you use a large pot to cook your pasta and try to reduce the flame enough to maintain a steady boil.

Here’s a breakdown of how much its costs to make this: Chicken breast – Php 214.00 Spaghetti noodles – Php 52.50 (for 450 grams) Red onions- Php 36.82 Bell pepper – Php 22.11 Garlic – Php 26.21 Tomatoes – Php 11.06 Chicken bouillon – Php 56.00 (for 12 pieces) Cream of chicken – Php 109.00 (for 300 grams) Mushroom – Php 31.50 (for 198 grams) Cheddar cheese – Php 190.00 (for 227 grams) Garlic powder – Php 28.50 (for 30 grams) Onion powder – Php 67.50 Salt – Php 10.00

Chicken Pork Adobo

Chicken Pork Adobo

Almost every Filipino knows how to cook adobo. It’s one of the first things you learn in terms of Filipino-style cooking. It’s basic, it’s simple, but yet the balance of sweet, savory and vinegary flavors just makes this dish so delicate. There are far too many variations of adobo in the Philippines alone since every province (state) has their added their twist to it. This recipe that I have for you is the simplest form of adobo that I know of.

Before we start cooking, let us set-up all of the ingredients and tools that we need. Thawing the pork shoulder and chicken. You’ll need at least a couple of hours set aside for this especially if you are not a fan of using the microwave for this. Now once that’s done, it’s time to make our pork shoulder and chicken soft yet tender with the help of your pressure cooker. Fill that up with water, just until the pork and the chicken are completely submerged and sprinkle a pinch of salt then leave that for 30 minutes, one (1) hour tops. Now while that’s doing its job, this just gives you an ample amount of time to start preparing the other ingredients. You’ll need your chopping board and your trusty knife to peel and thinly slice the onions and with the addition of your mortar and pestle to crush the garlic. Measure out all of the liquid ingredients, place them on small bowls and set them aside together with the dry ingredients.

Once the pork shoulder and chicken are soft yet tender, with as little liquid left from the previous step, pour the vinegar and bring it to a boil without stirring and uncovered for five (5) minutes. Once the five (5) minutes is up pour the soy sauce, add in the brown sugar, bay leaves and peppercorn then mix it very well. Let it cook until the sauce is reduced. Adjust the flavor to your liking and season it with a little salt and pepper and you’re good. 🙂

Here’s a breakdown of how much it costs to make this dish: 1/2 kilo pork shoulder- Php 85.36 1/2 kilo chicken- Php 117.83 Canola oil(48 oz.)- Php 301.50 Red onions- Php 17.94 Garlic- Php 26.21 White vinegar(385 grams)- Php 13.50 Soy sauce(385 grams)- Php 16.00 Salt- Php 10.00 Black pepper- Php 32.50 Brown sugar- Php 45.75

Dessert madness: Churro Tots

When I was still young, my mom used to take to this Spanish restaurant and she would order only two things: Paella Valenciana and Churros con Chocolate. Now we rarely do we go to that restaurant since it’s so far from our new place, but if we are near the area we never fail to go to that restaurant and order the same food.

Lately, I’ve been craving for some Churros and lo and behold I found a recipe. And guess what? They are so scrumptious! Having the first bite just took me back to the very first time I tried Churros. Please try and make one.

Churro Tots

What you’ll need: 

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of water
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/4 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

What to prep for:

* Take out your dry ingredients and measuring cups
* And don’t forget your wet ingredients

How to do it:

1. In a saucepan, melt your butter. Once the butter is melted, add the water and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat once it boils.

2. In a mixing bowl pour the butter water mixture, half of the required all-purpose flour and all of the baking soda. Mix well the add the other half of the all-purpose flour then mix well.

3. Pour the vanilla and one egg at a time to the dough. Mix! Mix! Mix! then place the dough in the pastry bag.

4. Take out your deep fryer, pour in the canola oil then start plopping the dough from your pastry bag. Cook until golden brown.

5. Remove your churro tots from the fryer and place them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

6. On a deep place tupperware, mix the white sugar and ground cinnamon. Place the churro tots in there and shake! shake! shake! while they’re stil warm.

Best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot choco. 🙂

Notes on this recipe:

* To make sure you’re able to mix the dough really really well, use a hand/stand mixer so you’ll achieve a smooth texture for your dough.

* If you do not have a deep fryer, you can use a deep casserole.

How much did everything cost?

All-purpose flour – Php 126.50 (500 grams)
Eggs – Php 104.00 (six pieces)
Sea salt – Php 10.00 (500 grams)
Unsalted butter  – Php 104.00 (225 grams)
Baking powder – Php 53.00 (100 grams)
Vanilla – Php 34.50
White sugar – Php 26.00 (1/2 kilograms)
Ground cinnamon – Php 42.50 (30 grams)

Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry

Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry

What you’ll need:

1/4 kilo of chicken breast fillet

1 bunch of broccoli
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 cup of water

2 pieces of chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of muscovado sugar

What to prep for:

* Defrost the chicken breast fillets
* Slice the chicken into strips
* Slice the red and green bell pepper into strips
* Break off the broccoli stems
* The chicken broth: Boil 1 cup of water the add one (1) chicken
bouillon. Wait for it to completely dissolve then set it aside

How to do it:

1. On a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the chicken until it is brown

2. Add the vegetables and the remaining chicken bouillon. Cook until the broccoli
is crisp and bright green.

3. Mix in the chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar. Let it boil for
two (2) minutes and you’re done.

Serves four (4) people | Best served with a cup of rice 🙂

Note on this recipe:

* I used muscovado sugar as a somewhat healthy alternative to white sugar.
Another alternative will be brown sugar, just reduce the amount to two (2)
teaspoons.

How much did everything cost?

Chicken breast fillet – Php 129.79
Broccoli – Php 23.87
Red bell pepper – Php 9.52
Green bell pepper – Php 9.52
Olive oil – Php 128.50
Soy sauce – Php 16.00
Chicken bouillon – Php 28.00
Cornstarch – Php 22.50
Muscovado sugar – Php 117.50

Dessert Madness: No bake choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies

One of the things I would like to try is baking. Unfortunately I do not have an oven so I have to resort to looking and trying no bake desserts. Choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies is one of the recipes I found. I’ll feature another no bake dessert recipe in the coming days, so watch out for it.

No bake choco peanut butter oatmeal cookies

What you’ll need

1 1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of fresh cow’s milk
1 cup of peanut butter
2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
4 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate*

* if desired

What to prep

– Bring out: white sugar, butter, fresh cow’s mil, peanut butter, vanilla and old fashioned rolled oats.
– Melt semi-sweet chocolate. (See Notes on this recipe on how to melt chocolate)
– Prepare a large sauce pan, baking tray, rubber spatula and wax paper.

How to do it

1. Using your large sauce pan, place it on the stove over high heat. Add the butter, white sugar and milk and bring to a rolling boil. Consistently stir for one (1) minute.

2. Remove from heat. Transfer it on a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and fold in the old fashioned rolled oats.

3.Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking tray or plate covered with wax paper.Let it dry for one (1) hour.

4. If desired, drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate and let it dry for 15 to 30 minutes.

Makes more than one (1) dozen. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

* This is not the first time I’ve attempted this recipe. I believe this is my third (3rd) time and I’m still trying to perfect it. All of my attempts the results were a bit too sweet, maybe its the peanut butter I used. So the next time I’ll make this and resulted to perfection, I’ll update this post.

* Cooking term of the day: Rolling boil – a liquid being boiled rapidly with lots of bubbling.

* For melting the chocolate, I found this link to be very helpful. Please check it out: http://candy.about.com/od/workingwithchocolate/a/meltchocolate.htm

How much did everything cost

White sugar – Php 26.00 (for 1/2 kilo)
Fresh cow’s milk – Php 84.50
Peanut butter – Php 69.50 (for 224 grams)
Vanilla – Php 34.50
Old fashioned rolled oats – Php 71.50 (for 500 grams)
Semi-sweet chocolate – Php 34.50 (for 100 grams)

Home made lemon iced tea

Everyone who knows me, knows that there is one drink I really really love and that is lemon iced tea. Once upon a time I hated water. To me water was too boring, it had no taste and it was such a burden to drink water. I had a clingy relationship with lemon iced tea. I had an addiction with it. I would drink it on every meal and sometimes I would finish one liter of it in one sitting. That was then, and now because of my cousin underwent an operation due to drinking too much sugary and powdered drink and my grandmother suffering kidney problems. Now I know how important it is to drink water. Everyday I try to drink more or less two liters of water. I still drink lemon iced tea once in a while that is why I tried this drink recipe for home made lemon iced tea. With this recipe I still get to enjoy the sweet lemony flavor without the bad effects of artificial flavor and sugar.

Home made lemon iced tea

What you’ll need

5 black tea tea bags
1 lemon
5 liters of water

What to prep

– Bring out the black tea tea bags
– Roundly slice the lemons
– Boil the water
– Make sure that you have a heat-proof pitcher

How to do it

1. Bring the five (5) liters of water to a boil using your kettle or a deep sauce pan.

2. When the boiling is done, transfer the water on a heat-proof pitcher. Soak the five (5) black tea tea bags, let it soak for 15 minutes.

3. When 15 minutes is up, remove the tea bags and place the sliced lemons.

4. Let it cool before placing in your refrigerator.

Serves four (4) to five (5) glasses. 🙂

Notes on this recipe

* Using lemon is my preference. You can choose or use your preferred flavor for iced tea like: raspberry, mint, peach and many more.

* Some may find the lemon or the black tea bitter or sou. You may use honey as a sweetener.

How much did everything cost?

Black tea – Php 132.10 (for 12 pieces)
1 lemon – Php 136.00 (for four (4) pieces)
* Honey – Php 250.00 (for one (1) liter)

Honey Mustard Chicken

One fun fact about me – I prefer having chicken more than any kind of meat. It’s so much easier to prep, cook and eat (at least in my opinion). So I find different kinds of recipes or ways to cook chicken and this is my latest find, Honey Mustard Chicken.

Honey Mustard Chicken

What you’ll need

1/2 kilo of chicken breast fillet
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of honey
4 tablespoons of mustard
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1 bulb of red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 can of mushrooms
1 teaspoon of parsley leaves

1 piece of chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon  of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper

What to prep

– Defrost the chicken
– The chicken marinate: garlic powder, salt and pepper
– Slice the green bell pepper into stripes
– Slice the onion
– Mix the honey and mustard on a bowl
– Let the butter settle in room temperature
– Bring out the olive oil, mushrooms, parsley leaves, chicken bouillon, minced garlic, salt and pepper

How to do it

1. Marinate the chicken in the chicken marinade for ten (10) minutes.

2. On a medium sized non-stick pan over medium heat, melt and heat the olive oil and butter. Then saute the onions until translucent. Once done, add the green bell pepper, minced garlic, and mushrooms.

3. Add the chicken bouillon and the chicken. Cook until the chicken is brown.

4. Add the honey mustard mixture. Make sure that all of the the chickens are coated. Cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is sticky.

5. Taste it. Add salt or pepper if needed. Top of with parsley leaves.

Serves four (4) people | Best served with hot rice. 🙂

Note on this recipe

* As you can see I add green beans to the recipe. It’s because I had to use them already or else they’ll go bad. Add them if you want. 🙂

How much did everything cost?

Olive oil – Php 128.50 (for 250 grams)
Unsalted butter – Php 104.00 (for 250 grams)
Red onion –  Php 27.65
Green bell pepper – Php 10.61
Canned mushrooms – Php 63.00 (for 198 grams)
Honey – Php 250.00 (for one (1) liter)
Mustard – Php 62.50 (for 200 grams)
Chicken bouillon – Php 56.00 (for 12 pieces)
Chicken – Php 105.00 (for 1/2 kilo)
Minced garlic – Php 83.50
Garlic powder – Php 79.50
Salt – Php 10.00
Ground black pepper – Php 32.50

Noodle Craze: Macaroni Tomato and Garlic Sauce

For Pasta Week day five, I’m taking you to a little flash back because I didn’t cook anything due to the number of leftovers we have at home. I did this recipe last year and I would like to share with you again . This is one of my favorite pasta recipe and I hope you enjoy it as well.

The home-schooled chef

Macaroni in Tomato and Garlic Sauce

What you’ll need

150 grams of elbow macaroni pasta
2 heads of garlic
6 red tomatoes, de-seeded and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of basil
a pinch of salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese and/or chili flakes

How to do it

– Pre-heat the turbo broiler to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
– Slice the top and bottom side of the garlic heads, but make sure to leave some
of its skin.
– Place them on a sheet of an aluminum foil and drizzle with one (1) tablespoons of
olive oil.
– On a separate sheet of aluminum foil, place the tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining
olive oil. Pour the balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper.
Make sure to mix well.
– Place the garlic and…

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Noodle craze: Spaghetti ala Carbonara

Here’s my entry for day four of Pasta Week. Another cream based pasta, still haven’t perfected the creaminess yet but I’m going to keep on trying.

Carbonara

What you’ll need

200 grams spaghetti
4 slices of sweet ham
3 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 egg yolks
250 grams of all purpose cream
198 grams of mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

How to do it

1. Prepare the spaghetti: boil the pasta with two (2) liters of water, two (2) tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.

2. On a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the following ingredients :
– all purpose cream
– egg yolks
– grated cheddar cheese
– ground black pepper

3. On a medium sized sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sweet ham and mushrooms until the sweet ham is lightly brown.

4. Add the cream mixture and let it simmer for two (2) minutes.

5. Toss the cream mixture, sweet ham and mushrooms together with the pasta and you’re good to go.

Serves four (4) people. 🙂

What to prep

* Defrost and slice the sweet ham into cubes
* Grate the cheddar cheese
* Slice the mushrooms in half
* Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites
* Bring out the spaghetti, olive oil, ground black pepper and all purpose cream

How much did everything cost?

200 grams spaghetti – Php 79.50
Sweet ham – Php 95.00 (for 200 grams)
Cheddar cheese – Php 182 (for 227 grams)
Olive oil – Php 128.50 (for 250 ml)
Eggs – Php 104.00 (for 10 pieces)
250 grams of all purpose cream – Php 44.50
198 grams of mushrooms – Php 31.50
Ground black pepper – Php 32.50

Noodle craze: Meaty Spaghetti

Pasta week, day three. What we have here today is a result of leftover bacon and ground beef. Meaty Spaghetti is a quick and simple recipe that you can make on any lazy afternoon or evening.

Meaty Spaghetti

What you’ll need

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 bulbs of red onions
5 stripes of bacon (add more if you want)
1/4 kilo of ground beef
1 can of peeled canned tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of italian seasoning

How to do it

1. Prepare the spaghetti: boil the pasta with two (2) liters of water, two (2) tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.

2. Cook the bacon to your liking, slice to tiny bits then set aside.

3. On a medium sized non stick sauce pan, heat the Canola oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic until golden brown. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

4. Add the ground beef and cook until they’re brown. Add the bacon and mix.

5. Pour the canned tomatoes and add the italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Let it simmer for three (3) minutes.

6. Toss in the pasta once cooked, and you’re done.  🙂

Serves four (4) people. 🙂

What to prep

* Defrost ground beef
* Defrost bacon
* Slice and mash canned tomatoes
* Crush and mince garlic
* Slice red onions
* Bring out your canola oil, italian seasoning, salt and pepper

How much did everything cost?

Canola oil –  Php 301.50 (for 480oz.)
Garlic – Php 30.00 (for 1/2 kilo)
Red onions – Php 35.00 (for 1/2 kilo)
Ground beef – Php 113.27 (for 1 kilo)
Bacon – Php 162.00 (for 250 grams)
Salt – Php 10.00
Canned peeled tomatoes – Php 46.50 (for 400 grams)
Ground black pepper – Php 32.50
Italian seasoning – Php 47.50
Spaghetti – Php 79.50