Delicious Fruity Cheesecake

I'm having one of those moments again. I seldom cook and prepare something in the kitchen that's why whenever I do, it's sort of a big deal for me and everyone around. Since I've been craving for cheesecake for days now and haven't gotten to dropping by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, I've decided to make it myself. It's quite simple and you don't even need an oven.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup melted margarine/butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the topping:

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsp fruit cocktail syrup

1 can (836 g) Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail, drain well (reserve syrup)

For the filling:

1 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup fruit cocktail syrup

1/2 cup all-purpose cream, chilled

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pack (225 g) cream cheese, softened

Instructions:

1.) For the crust, combine ingredients and mix well. Press into 9" pie plate (or spring form pan). Cover and freeze for 30 minutes.

2.) For the topping, heat cornstarch mixture, constantly stirring until just thick. Stir in sugar and Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail. Set aside.

3.) For the filling, combine gelatin and fruit cocktail syrup. Stir. Heat over low fire until gelatin is dissolved. Add sugar and vanilla. Set aside.

4.) Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Set aside. Beat cream until if forms soft peaks. Add cream cheese. Continue beating until well blended.

5.) Gradually add gelatin mixture while mixing. Fold in 3/4 of Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail mixture. Pour over crust. Chill until set. Top with remaining Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail.

 

My Pininyahang Manok

When my dad celebrated his birthday last week I cooked something special for him. I do not normally cook at home since I am not very good at it but it is a special occasion so I wanted to make it memorable for him and for all of us. He likes chicken so I made him Pininyahang Manok, a classic Filipino dish that mixes the richness of milk balanced with the sweet and sour kick of Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits. 

Pininyahang Manok

Ingredients:

2 pouches (115 g each) Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits, drained (reserve syrup)
2 tbsp ginger strips
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large red onion, sliced
3/4 kg chicken thigh and leg, cut into serving portions
1-2 tbsp patis
1/2 tsp peppercorn
1 pc medium red bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 can (154 ml) evaporated milk or 2/3 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1.)  Saute ginger, garlic, and onion in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. Add patis and chicken. Saute for 10 minutes or until the chicken is slightly brown.

2.) Add peppercorn and pineapple syrup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3.) Add bell pepper, milk, and Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits. Simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously.

Choco Mallow Mousse

I love desserts and would absolutely want to try this recipe courtesy of Del Monte Kitchenomics. It seems easy to do and looks so yummy.

1   can (432 g) Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail

4   pc chocolate mallows, diced

2   tsp unflavored gelatin

4-5  tbsp chocolate drink powder

1   tsp sugar

3/4  cup all-purpose cream (room temperature)

1.)  Arrange chocolate mallows in individual serving cup. Top with Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail. Reserve 1/2 cup for topping. Set aside.

2.) Mix gelatin with fruit cocktail syrup. Heat to dissolve. Stir in chocolate powder and sugar. Set aside.

3.) Beat cream until fluffy. Add gelatin mixture gradually while beating. Portion cream mixture into prepared cups.

4.) Cover and chill until set. Top with remaining fruit cocktail. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Delicious Pasta Recipe

I love pasta. I never get tired of eating any pasta dish. If only I knew how to cook I'd probably prepare pasta everyday (just kidding!). I would often ask my sister to cook the dishes we see on cooking shows. Learning how to cook has been in my bucket list for the longest time but I haven't gotten to fulfilling that yet. But I will someday :). Anyhow, I saw this simple yet healthy and delicious pasta recipe in the internet and I wanna share it to you guys. 

Basil Pesto with Potatoes, Green Beans and Pasta

Ingredients:

• 10 small new potatoes, sliced into 1/4 slices
• 2 cups of green beans, stem ends snapped off
• 8 ounces of linguini (or whatever pasta you like)
• 2 ounces of parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup pine nuts*
• 2 cups packed fresh basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper 

Fill a large pot with water and potatoes and add about 2 tablespoons of sea salt. Bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they are just done, about 13 - 15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes with a strainer  and place in a large serving bowl.  Do not dump out your water. To the same pot and water, add the green beans and cook until they are just done, about 7-8 minutes. Remove with the strainer and add the beans to the potatoes in your serving dish.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the linguini about 8 minutes. Remove with a pair of tongs and add to your serving dish.  A little bit of pasta water on the linguini is fine - this will help make a "sauce" of the pesto. While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto.  Place the cheese and the garlic in a food processor and process until fine.  Add the basil and pine nuts and process. Start adding the olive oil through the feed tube until the pesto is all thoroughly processed.  You may have to use a spatula to scrape it down.  Taste the pesto and add a little sea salt if you like. Add the pesto and a few grinds of black pepper to the serving bowl ingredients and toss well.  Add a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water if you need help in blending the pesto. Serve at room temperature. 

Frying Pan Lasagna Recipe

I seldom cook but whenever I get the urge to whip up something good, I rely on the internet to give some really awesome recipes. As I was searching for the best mouth watering recipe I chanced upon the 30-minute Frying Pan Lasagna recipe. The photo just caught my fancy because it looks really delicious. I might try it this weekend or next week when my sister and her family arrive from China. It will really be a nice treat for them. I'm sure everyone will love it not just the kids.

Frying Pan Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium red finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 medium red capsicum finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 410g can crushed tomatoes
• 3 fresh lasagne sheets cut into thirds
• 1/2 x 250g tub cream cheese
• 100g shaved leg ham
• 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Directions:

1. Heat half the oil in an 18cm (base), heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add oregano and tomato. Season with salt. Cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe pan clean.

2. Spread 1 side of each piece of lasagne with cream cheese. Drizzle remaining oil over base of pan. Arrange 2 pieces of lasagne, cream cheese side-up, over base of pan. Top with one-third of the ham, then one-quarter tomato mixture. Repeat layers, finishing with 3 pieces of lasagne then 1 layer tomato mixture. Sprinkle with tasty cheese. Preheat grill on high.

3. Return pan to medium-low heat. Cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until lasagne sheets are tender. Remove lid. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

Delicious Mocha Magnifico

I seldom cook because I don't really have the talent for cooking. This fact sometimes frustrates me but it's something that I have accepted ever since I can remember. I may be good at other things, but I'll never be good in the kitchen. But since it's a Sunday and the whole family's at home, I decided to prepare a delicious dessert. I think I've done this recipe twice already and the result every time was perfect. I want to share it because it's a really yummy recipe and for sure everyone will enjoy it, not just the kids.

Mocha Magnifico

(2) 250 ml Nestle All Purpose Cream
(1/2) cup Carnation Condensada
(1) tbsp Nescafe Classic Dissolved in
(1) tbsp hot water
(14) pcs graham crackers
(10) pcs choco wafer sticks, crushed
(1) 70 g pack Nestle Knick Knacks, Choco

1.) Mix together Nestle All Purpose Cream, Carnation Condensada and dissolved Nescafe Classic. Set aside.

2.) Layer graham crackers on a square glass or aluminum container. Spread about 1/2 cup of the coffee-cream mixture on top of the graham crackers and sprinkle with crushed choco wafer sticks and Nestle Knick Knacks Choco for filling. Sandwich the filling with another layer of graham crackers and finish with the remaining cream mixture.

3.) Chill before serving.


This takes 15 minutes to prepare and needs to be chilled for 4 hours.

Asparagus in White Sauce

I'm not much of a cook but sometimes I do experiment and try my hand at cooking. I saw this contest by Athena milk in Facebook a couple of months ago where you're going to submit a healthy recipe using Athena milk as one of the ingredients. Although I didn't win the grand prize I won an Athena gift pack. And now I want to share my recipe to everyone.

Ingredients:

29 oz White asparagus; (2 cans)
2 tablespoon Margarine
2 tablespoon Unbleached flour
½ cups asparagus liquid
½ cups Athena Milk
4 oz bacon cut into bits
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg freshly grated
¼ teaspoon Salt


1.) Drain asparagus spears and reserve ½ cup of the liquid.
2.) In a saucepan, heat the margarine.
3.) Add flour and stir.
4.) Pour in milk and asparagus liquid gradually.
5.) Over low heat, stir constantly until sauce thickens.
6.) Add cooked bacon, nutmeg, and salt.
7.) Gently stir in asparagus spears.

Empanaditas Recipe

I seldom cook but when I do, I make sure it's delicious and something that my whole family would enjoy. Last Sunday some of my relatives came over to spend the day with us. We served dishes such as baked macaroni, fried chicken, baked mussels, chopsuey (mixed vegetables with pork), and Caesar's Salad. It was a truly enjoyable meal with lots of talk and laughter. I also made Empanaditas, a delightful recipe for dessert. This is very easy to make because it doesn't have that much ingredients. It's also budget-friendly which is important in these uncertain times. All you need to make this dessert are the following: flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, milk, cooking oil, and fruit jam. The first thing that you have to do is to sift flour with salt and baking powder then add sugar and sift again. Mix milk and oil and make a well in flour mixture and then pour the milk mixture. By using a fork, mix the flour and liquid so as to make a soft dough. After that, roll out the dough on a board that's slightly floured (1/4 inch thick). Use a cookie cutter to cut round pieces and then place half a spoon of fruit jam (you can choose whatever fruit you like - strawberry, mango, banana, peach etc.) in the middle of each dough. Sprinkle the edges with a little bit of water then fold over one half of the circle and by using a fork, press the edges. Lastly, fry the dough in cooking oil until it's golden brown. It's that easy. A really ideal dessert for people who always seem to run out of time.

Recipe: Spaghetti with Garlic and Bread Crumbs

Sundays are always special. It's spent mostly with our family and loved ones. So what better way to spend it than to eat something really delicious. Since I didn't want to go out, I spent the morning browsing through my favorite pasta recipe book to figure out what I would cook. I must agree that I'm not much of a chef. As a matter of fact I seldom cook. But I do love to eat and there are times when I like to get my hands dirty in the kitchen. So I chose a really simple dish which I knew I would be able to prepare easily with positive results. I actually got the recipe from Treats Just Great Recipes Spaghetti and it's called Spaghetti with Garlic and Bread Crumbs.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125 ml.) extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups (175 g.) day-old bread, crumbled
2 table spoons finely chopped fresh oregano or
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
Freshly ground black pepper


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the bread crumbs and oregano and saute until the bread crumbs have browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain and add to the pan with the bread crumb mixture. Toss over medium heat until the sauce sticks to the pasta, 1-2 minutes. Season with pepper and serve hot.

My Favorite Pasta Recipe

Since it was a holiday yesterday and the whole family was in, I decided to cook my favorite pasta recipe, the Spaghetti Carbonara. I've been cooking this recipe for the longest time and it never loses its appeal. It really is delicious. This recipe is actually from my collection of Del Monte Kitchenomics recipes. I like cooking this especially when my friends are around because it's easy to prepare and doesn't have much ingredients so it's budget-friendly. They just can't stop giving me praises for my cooking. Though I don't cook often and I'm not good at it, with this recipe it seems as if I'm one of the contestants of Top Chef. The ingredients that you'll need are spaghetti, butter, beef bouillon, evaporated milk, water, parmesan or cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and
all-purpose cream. Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan. Saute bouillon and add milk, water and cheese. Then season with salt and pepper. Simmer for three minutes and stir in all-purpose cream. Lastly, pour over or blend the sauce with the cooked Del Monte Spaghetti. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3. So the next time a special occassion happens or even if it's just an ordinary day and you want to indulge, cook the Spaghetti Carbonara.