Filipino Pasta Recipes

Submitted by: Carlo Villamayor

Pop into any party and chances are there’s a large helping of pasta on everyone’s plate. Next to rice and pancit, pasta is no doubt one of the most popular party foods in the Philippines. That’s why you’ll find it in most Filipino food chains, although it’s not considered fast food anywhere else in the world. Yes, it’s not exactly part of Filipino cuisine, but we’ve found ways to make it fit in with our tastes.

But if you’ve been to enough parties, you’ll notice there’s hardly any variety in Filipino pastas. There seems to be a standard: the sauce has to be bright red, there’s got to be hot dogs in, and you have to be generous with the cheese. But nothing’s keeping you from breaking the rules. If you want to surprise your guests at your next party, try one of these pasta Filipino recipes.

Chicken Lasagna

This is a rich pasta dish perfect for those really special occasions. You can serve it with garlic bread like other pasta recipes, or serve with a light potato salad on the side.

Ingredients

8-10 lasagna sheets, cooked

2 cups chicken meat, cooked and diced

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

2 cups canned tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp basil

½ cup half and half

1 ¼ cups chicken broth

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup ricotta cheese, shredded

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

parmesan cheese to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Saute onions in butter until transparent. Mix in the basil, oregano, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Run the tomatoes through a food processor or blender, then add to the vegetables. Add the chicken and let it cook on low heat. In another saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until smooth. Pour in the broth and stir continuously until thick. Switch to low heat and add the half and half. In a greased baking pan, spread some of the cream sauce on the base and cover with a layer of lasagna. Layer with the meat sauce, cream sauce, and risotto and mozzarella cheeses. Keep adding layers until you’re out of sauce. Top with parmesan and bake for about25 minutes at 350oF.

Polka Dot Mac and Cheese

Kids will love this colorful dish at birthday parties. it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, so you’ll have time to make other Filipino food recipes.

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked

2 hot dogs

½ cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese soup

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Procedure: Preheat your oven to 375oF. Put the macaroni in a large baking dish. Stir in the cheese sauce, worcestershire and milk, making sure all the noodles are evenly coated. Chop the hot dogs into thin slices, then arrange on top of the pasta. Bake for 25 minutes or until hot dogs are done.

Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce

Some people like traditional red sauce; others like it white and creamy. This recipe strikes the perfect balance between the two. This works great with Filipino desserts recipes such as leche flan and halo-halo.

Ingredients:

1 cup penne pasta, cooked

½ cup bacon, chopped

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

¾ cup bell pepper, chopped

2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, unsalted

½ tsp dried basil

¼ cup evaporated milk

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp flour

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: cook the bacon, onion, and garlic on medium heat until tender. Add the tomato, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil, then switch to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Eggplant lasagna

This one is perfect for vegetarians or health-conscious eaters. The eggplant provides the fullness of meat, making it much like traditional Filipino cooking recipes.

Ingredients:

2 cups spaghetti sauce

½ kg eggplant, thinly sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese, shredded

1 ½ cups pitted olives

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp fennel seeds

1/3 cup olive oil

Procedure: Preheat your oven to 425oF. Stir the basil and oregano into the olive oil, then brush onto the eggplant strips. Brown both sides of the eggplant until tender. Layer the eggplant, mozzarella and ricotta, sauce, fennel seeds, and olives in a casserole dish; repeat as necessary. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cover. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cheese gets bubbly. Let it cool for about 15 minutes.

About the Author: Carlo Villamayor is the owner and co-author of the Filipino food blog, http://Kusina.ph at http://www.kusina.ph A devoted cook, he makes it his personal mission to spread the joy of one of his Filipino food recipes at http://www.kusina.ph/classic-filipino-recipes-reinvented/ with food lovers the world over. Bon appetit!

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Three Easy Pasta Recipes

By Ana Maria Da Costa Vasconcellos 

When I get home and have short time to prepare lunch, the quickest dish is always pasta. You can easily have a complete meal in 10 minutes (plus the time to boil the water).

Pasta is a genuine food, that mostly of the times contain only water and wheat flour, being safe for people of all ages. The difference is how we dress it. But following the rules of Mediterranean Diet, that combines vegetables with carbohydrates, if the right quantity of fat (good fat) is used, it can really be considered a high quality meal for all ages.

The number of calories of a pasta dish (not considering the dressing) is around 300 kcal. Plus the dressing it makes a complete meal for about 600kcal, that matches perfectly with a balanced and healthy diet.

There are many industrialized dressings that may contain chemicals, but as seen along the following recipes, it is really easy and simple to cook a good and genuine meal with easy-to-find fresh ingredients.

Tasty Pasta with Tuna

This recipe is one of the favorite ones for my children. It's a complete meal as you have pasta (carbohydtares), extra virgin olive oil (good unsatured fat), grated parmesan and tuna (proteins).

You'll need for 4 people:

400gr of pasta (500gr if you want a unique and complete dish)

3 cans of tuna with olive oil (I use the 160gr each cans)

5 anchovies fillets

4 pieces of garlic (chopped)

3 spoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 or 5 spoons of grated parmesan

1 lemon juice

How to do it:

Put the pasta into the salted boiling water and set your timer for the cooking time (part of the goodness of a pasta dish is its correct cook - a too much cooked pasta loses taste).

Then put the extra virgin olive oil inside a frying pan and add the chopped garlic, the minced anchovies fillets and soon after the tuna. Mix it all, add a small piece of <i>peperoncino</i> (optional) and right before turning the gas off, add the lemon juice.

When the pasta is done, drain it with a colander and put it back inside the pan. Add the tuna mix and the grated parmesan. Mix it all well and...it's ready.

Tagliatelle Alfredo

I got this recipe from a waiter of Alfredo's restaurant at Epcot Center, many years ago.

You'll need (for 4 people):

400gr of tagliatelle (fresh fettuccine would be great)

250gr cream

120gr of a good quality grated parmesan

1 spoon of butter

How to do it:

After putting the pasta inside the boiling salted water (tip: add a thread of oil to the water. It avoids fresh pasta to attach one with another), take a pan and put the butter, the cream and the grated parmesan together. Take it to low gas and mix it until it gets hot, but not boiling. When the pasta is done, drain it with a colander and add the warm cream and mix it all. It's done.

Pasta with bottarga and cherry tomatoes

Here you need to have grated bottarga, but it worths the expense.

You'll need (for 4 people):

400 gr of spaghetti

4 spoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 or 5 pieces of garlic, chopped

Minced parsley

500gr of cherry tomatoes

Grated bottarga

How to do it:

After putting the spaghetti into the boiling salted water, put the extra virgin olive oil inside a pan, add the chopped garlic and parsley and let it color a little. Then add the cherry tomatoes cut in halfs, mix it with the rest for a while and then turn off the gas. When the pasta is done, add this mix adding the grated bottarga. Perfect with a glass of good white wine. Enjoy!

Ana Maria Da Costa Vasconcellos Ana Maria Da Costa Vasconcellos

Ana Maria da Costa, economist and enogastronomic expert, lives in Italy since 1983 and shows Italian food culture from the inside, with tips... (show bio)

Alcohol Free Christmas Drink Recipes

Submitted by: David P Walker

Mulled wine and mince pie parties are a staple part of Christmas celebrations among friends and families, but daytime drinking can leave you feeling drowsy and lethargic as well as unsafe to drive home. If you want to avoid binge drinking, alternate your alcoholic beverages with these delicious alcohol free festive drinks to stay hydrated, or go completely alcohol free for a great party, without the hangover.

Alcohol Free or Low Alcohol Mulled Wine

Mulled wine, the quintessential Christmas drink, is normally alcoholic as it contains red wine and sometimes even brandy, but it needn’t be. If you have a stockist of non alcoholic or low alcohol content red wine near you, or have enough time to buy online, this can be a great way to emulate the taste without the potentially negative effects of binge drinking. If you can’t find non/low alcohol wine, don’t worry, just use cranberry or red grape juice instead.

Ingredients:

375ml low alcohol wine, non alcoholic wine, cranberry juice or red grape juice

375ml orange juice

1 large orange, halved and sliced

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

Method:

Put everything into a pan and heat on the hob for 5 to 10 minutes until liquid is hot, but not boiling. Then turn the hob off and cover pan with a lid until ready to serve. Ladle into glasses and decorate with a few pieces of orange and a cinnamon stick in each glass.

Alcohol Free Warm Spiced Apple

Normally a drink made with cider, but there’s no reason why the alcohol free version made with apple juice, shouldn’t be equally delicious. The trick here is to buy good quality, fresh apple juice, not the made from concentrate stuff you normally find in supermarket’s own brand ranges.

Ingredients:

700ml apple juice

200ml water

100g brown sugar

½ a lemon, sliced

½ orange, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method:

Put everything into a pan and heat on the hob for 5 to 10 minutes until liquid is hot, but not boiling. Turn off the hob, strain liquid into a new pan and place back on the hob to keep warm from the residual heat. Cover with a lid until ready to serve. Ladle into glasses and decorate with a few pieces of orange or lemon.

Alcohol Free Eggnog

Another traditional Christmas drink, though now more popular in America than the UK. Eggnog is an egg based drink, which is more delicious than it sounds, which can be made with or without alcohol.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk

475ml whole milk

60ml double cream

A pinch of nutmeg

A pinch of salt

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

Method:

Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt. Then add milk slowly, whisking the whole time until the mixture is a smooth, even consistency.

Add the mixture to a pan and heat on the lowest hob setting until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This may take 45 minutes to an hour, but don’t be tempted to turn up the heat – this will cause the eggs to scramble.

Strain the mixture into a jug or bowl and stir in the vanilla extract and nutmeg. Then cover and refrigerate until chilled – this will take around four hours.

When the mixture is cool, whip the double cream until it makes soft peaks, and then fold in to the chilled mixture.

Virgin Mary

As Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth, what could be a more topical drink than the Virgin Mary, the Bloody Mary’s alcohol free cousin. Easy to make, but also great to order if you’re out and about, as most bars will stock the ingredients for this and can easily make it without alcohol.

Ingredients:

1,200ml tomato juice

Tabasco sauce to taste

Worcestershire sauce to taste

The juice of a lemon

A pinch of salt and pepper

A celery stick per glass, to garnish

Method:

Pour tomato juice into a jug and add lemon juice. Then season with Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and serve over ice with a stick of celery to garnish.

About the Author: For more non alcoholic cocktail recipes visit drinkaware.co.uk. Drinkaware is an independent UK charity which promotes responsible alcohol consumption.

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Homemade Detox Drink Recipes For Cleansing

 By Ben Xenoo

Homemade detox drink recipes are available for many of the favoured detox plans. Before you start any detox diet plan you should always consult your doctor. Once you have the green light you should then think about what sort of detox plan suits you best.

Detox plans can vary vastly. Some restrict you to only drinking a special formula up to 6 times a day where as others allow you to eat as much as you want as long as you eat healthy unprocessed foods. Many make the mistake of making their first detox experience a fluid only diet. Fluid only diet are renowned to be very hard to complete and are not recommended for those new to the world of detoxification.

Many also make the mistake of switching directly from their normal diet to a detox diet. It is advisable to wind down from your normal diet over a period of a few weeks gradually reducing junk foods and caffeine etc before you start your detox diet.

Many of those who do partake in detoxification do have withdrawal symptoms. These can include, feeling light headed, feeling week and in some cases nausea. Most symptoms do though pass after a couple of days.  One of the hardest detox diets to complete is the Lemon Detox Diet.

There is no need to pay a fortune for the Lemon Detox Diet drink as you can make it yourself in a minute or so for a fraction of what it would cost you to buy in off the shelf. Just follow the instructions below.

Take a drinking glass and add 4oz of cold water

Add lemon juice from half of a freshly squeezed Lemon.

Add 2 tablespoons of Pure Maple Syrup.

Add a dash of Cayenne Pepper or ground ginger.

Using a spoon stir well.

Add  4 oz of cold water then stir again.

The detox process is meant to be followed for between 3 – 7 days.

It is recommended you have a multi-vitamin or mega multi-vitamin each day.

About the Author

Ben Xenoo Ben Xenoo

Click to get  more FREE HOMEMADE DETOX RECIPES and guides on DETOX FOODS (show bio)

5 Microwave Egg Recipes

Submitted by: Ross Wharton

Being a student means you have very little time or money to spend on your food. Heres five simple egg recipes that you can do in your microwave oven. Using your microwave will not only save you time but also use less energy and can provide you with some great nutritious meals.Eggs are simple and easy to cook, they have great nutritional value and will help retain you through those long evenings of study. Because they are full of protein they are a great source for athletes to help build up muscle.

1; Scrambled eggs; This is probably the easiest thing to cook in a microwave.

Take one egg and crack it into a microwave safe container. Add about a tablespoon of water or milk and whisk the two together and put them in your microwave oven. Cook on full power for 50 seconds or 1/2 power for 1and a half minutes. Remove from your microwave and stir with a fork. Leave this to stand for two minutes and in less than five minutes you will have light fluffy scrambled eggs.

2; Breakfast English Muffin;

Take a microwave cup and melt some butter in it for about 15 seconds. Swish the butter around the cup [ this helps to stop the egg from sticking to the cup ] crack an egg into the cup and microwave on full power for 45 seconds. Be careful though to check the power of your microwave and adjust your cooking time appropriately as the egg may explode. Cook some bacon on a microwave griddle until your happy that its cooked right for you. Butter an English muffin add the bacon, a slice of cheese and the egg and blast on full power your microwave for another 15 seconds. You have a great breakfast muffin in little time that will keep you going through the morning.

3; Garlic cod with eggs;

Take a small piece of cod, between two and four ounces and place it in a microwave safe dish and add a clove of chopped garlic. Cover this with a microwave cover or microwave safe wrap. Cook on full power for about a minute. Whisk two or three eggs together and pour them over the fish cook on full power for a further two minutes. Take out of the microwave and leave to stand for two minutes. This makes a great filling and healthy meal for you to enjoy and will impress your friends.

4; Fridge omelette;

Take all those left over bits of veg,ham,bacon and any other left overs in your fridge. Put them in a microwave dish and add two or three eggs and cook on full power for one and a half minutes. This should use up your left overs ad give you a tasty fun snack.

5; Meringue with mars bar sauce.

Take two egg whites and add sugar or a sweetener, whisk the two together until the mixture turns into white peaks. Butter a microwave dish and spoon in three or four blobs of of the mixture. Microwave on full power until it puffs up. Take out of the microwave and leave to finish cooking through. Chop up a mars bar and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on full power until it melts. Pour the sticky mess over the puffed up meringues and consume rapidly. Be careful as the melted mars will be very hot.

These recipes are all easy and quick to prepare and are great value. Ideal for students and people on tight budgets. You can use any microwave to cook them in.

About the Author: Bought to you by Rossgo of http://www.everythingmicrowaves.com

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Rhubarb Baking Recipes

Submitted by: Jill Seader

Rhubarb was always a staple in our garden when I was growing up. We always had it in lots of different dessert recipes over the summer. Here are few tasty rhubarb recipes for you to enjoy.

Rhubarb Muffins

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup walnuts

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, diced

Topping:

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, buttermilk, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the walnuts and the rhubarb and mix together well. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Pour mixture into the muffin liners. In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Add the topping to each muffin. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Rhubarb Pie

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

2 cups rhubarb, finely cut

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, flour, and eggs. Add the vanilla and sour cream into the mixture. Put the rhubarb in and mix until thoroughly blended together. Pour the mixture into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Mix together until the mixture is crumbly. Do not put the topping mixture on the pie right away. Bake the pie in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or when the center of the pie is firm. During the last 10 minutes of the baking time, sprinkle the topping mixture over the pie.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

4 cups rhubarb, diced

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 pint whipping cream

Prepare the cake mix as directed. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch greased pan. In a medium bowl, mix the rhubarb and sugar together. Evenly sprinkle the rhubarb mixture over the batter. Pour the whipping cream over the entire mixture. (It will look very runny.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake tests done.

About the Author: Jill Seader enjoys baking and sharing her baking recipes. Visit her website at http://www.YourBakingStory.com for more free baking recipes. Come and submit your own recipes as well. Happy Baking!

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Zucchini Baking Recipes

Submitted by: Jill Seader

Looking for a way to use up all of that extra zucchini in your garden? Here are a couple of tasty baking recipes for zucchini.

It always seems like if you plant even one zucchini plant, you have enough zucchini to feed a very large family plus the neighbors. So, of course, there is then the question of what to do with all of that zucchini. It always amazes me that zucchini can taste so good in baked goods. Hope you enjoy these two baking recipes for zucchini!

Zucchini Granola Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine (softened)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

grated rind of 1 orange

3 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini

3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butterscotch or chocolate chips

3 cups granola cereal

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, vanilla, orange rind, and zucchini. Add in the flour and baking soda. Mix in the granola cereal. Then mix in the butterscotch or chocolate chips. Grease a cookie sheet and put teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

5 tablespoons cocoa

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix the sugars, oil, and margarine together. Add the egg into the mixture one at a time. Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. Add in the zucchini and dry mixture by alternating. Add in the chocolate chips, raisins, and nuts. Grease a 9x13-inch pan and pour the batter into it. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

About the Author: Jill Seader shares more baking recipes with you on her baking site, http://www.YourBakingStory.com. Enjoy the recipes and submit your own baking recipe and story. Happy Baking!

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