Pork Adobo with Potato RecipeIngredients 1 1/2 lbs pork, sliced into cubes 2 medium potatoes, cubed 1/4 cup white vinegar 3/4 cup soy sauce 5 cloves crushed garlic 3 pieces dried bay leaves 1 tbsp whole pepper corn 1 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons cooking oil Salt to tasteCooking Procedure1. Heat oil in a pan2. Saut the garlic for 30 seconds3. Add the pork and whole peppercorn. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.4. Pour-in soy sauce and water.5. Add the bay leaves and let boil. Simmer (covered) for about 40 to 60 minutes. Note: Add water if needed6. Put-in the vinegar and allow re-boiling.7. Add the potatoes. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.8. Add salt9. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 4

Although this pumpkin soup recipe makes use of calabaza squash, you can use other varieties of pumpkin depending on your preference. I used kalabasa for this recipe because it tastes sweeter compared to ordinary pumpkin. It is also a good source of Vitamin A.I like this recipe because of its rich creamy flavor. There is nothing fancy going on with this dish. This makes it simple and easy to prepare. It is also a budget-friendly recipe.Lets enjoy life by eating healthy foods.Try this Pumpkin Soup recipe and let me know what you think.Pumpkin Soup RecipeIngredients 1 lb calabaza squash (kalabasa), cubed 2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 medium onion, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried parsleyCooking Procedure1. Place the calabaza in a baking tray, and then sprinkle ground black pepper and garlic powder on the calabaza.2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the calabazafor 18 to 20 minutes.3. Remove the calabazafrom the oven and set aside until it cools down.4. Place the calabazain a blender along with onions and chicken broth, and then blend until smooth.5. Heat a cooking pot and pour-in the calabazapuree. Let boil.6. Add salt and heavy whipping cream, and then cook for 15 minutes.7. Turn the heat off, and then transfer to a serving bowl.8. Garnish with dried parsley.9. Serve hot.10. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 4

Recipe: PolvoronIngredients 4 cups all purpose flour 2 cups powdered milk 3/4 cup pinipig, crushed 1 1/8 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cup granulated sugarCooking Procedure1. Heat a frying pan or a wok then put-in the flour. Toast the flour until you smell the aroma and the color turns light brown. Make sure to stir while toasting to prevent the flour from being burnt.2. Once the flour is toasted, let it cool down for about 20 minutes then transfer to a mixing bowl.3. Add the powdered milk then stir using a balloon whisk.4. Put-in the granulated sugar then stir again.5. Add-in the crushed pinipig then stir until very ingredient is well distributed.6. Pour-in the softened butter and mix well. You may use your clean hands in doing the procedure. After mixing, let it stand for at least 10 minutes to allow the butter to cool. This will make the mixture more intact.7. Using a polvoron molder, scoop the mixture and put it on top of a pre-cut Japanese paper or cellophane then wrap.8. Serve. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 8

Yema is a type of custard candy made from egg yolks and condensed milk. This is a common Filipino dessert and one of the easiest to make. The ingredients needed are readily available and this does not require a lot of cooking and preparation time.There are several ways to present this dessert the most common is the use of colored cellophane. The mixture is scooped and placed inside individually cut cellophane then manually molded until the shape becomes pyramid-like. Others roll the mixture until the shape becomes spherical and place them in a small paper cup or use some frill picks to go with it. Majority just eat it as it cools Try this Yema Ball recipe.

Ingredients:3 tbsp unsalted butter1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk3 egg yolks3 tbsp peanuts, choppedCooking procedure:1. Place the butter in a heated saucepan and allow to melt2. Stir-in the condensed milk and allow to cook for 3 minutes3. Add the egg yolks then continue stirring for 2 minutes4. Set the heat to medium and put-in the chopped peanuts then stir until the mixture becomes thick (about 15 to 20 minutes). Adjust heat to low when texture is about to be achieved.5. Turn-off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down6. When the temperature of the mixture is tolerable, scoop a spoonful then roll with your hands to form a sphere (ball shape).7. Transfer to a serving dish and apply your desired presentation8. Serve. Share and Enjoy!Espasol is a type of rice cake that is made of rice flour cooked in coconut milk. This cyclindricaly shaped treat originated from the Province of Laguna and is visible in almost all bus stops and pasalubong stores.Like the other famous rice-puddings (or kakanin), there are various ways in making Espasol. Ill be showing you one of the simple ways on how to make this fabulous dessert. Say adiue to your cravings and start making your own delicous Espasol.Try this Espasol recipe.Ingredients:3 cups glutinous rice flour, toasted1/2 cup sweet rice flour, toasted2 cups sugar3 cups coconut milk1 1/2 cups grated coconut, toasted1 tsp vanilla essenceCooking Procedure:1. In a cooking pot, pour-in the coconut milk and bring to a boil.2. Add the sugar and stir continously for 10 minutes.3. Put-in the toasted grated coconut and cook for 5 minutes.4. Add the vanilla essence and toasted rice flour and cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until the mixture becomes really thick while folding.5. Remove the mixture from the pot and allow to cool down.6. Dust the toasted sweet rice flour in a flat surface.7. Divide the mixture into parts and roll over the dusted sweet rice flour until a cylindrical shape is formed.8. Slice according to your preference.9. Put in a serving plate or wrap in paper or banana leaf. Share and enjoy!Note: The rice flour that you are using could be different, you may add some water in case you feel that the liquid is not enough.How to toast the rice flour

1. Place a pan large enough to accomadate the rice flour on top of a stove and apply low heat.2. Put the rice flour in the pan and allow to toast while continously mixing until the color turns light brown.3. Remove the toasted rice flour from the pan and transfer to a bowl or large containerHow to toast the grated coconut

1. Place a pan on top of a stove and apply low heat.2. Put the grated coconut in the pan and allow to toast while continously mixing until the color turns light brown.3. Remove the toasted grated coconut from the pan and transfer to a bowlLeche Flan (also known as crme caramel and caramel custard) is a dessert made-up of eggs and milk with a soft caramel on top. This dessert is known throughout the world (especially in Europe) and has been in the dessert menu of most restaurants because of its convenience in preparation and long shelf life. In the Philippines, Leche Flan is the top dessert of all time. During celebrations such as parties and town fiestas, the dining table wont be complete without it.I remember the Leche Flan that my Lola Belen makes when I was still living in Las Pinas. It really tasted so rich and heavenly; everyone in our family always requests her to make some on special occasions. As for me, Im still lucky because my wife knows how to make a good one too (this is actually her recipe). If I did it my way (not the songplease), you might be having Leche Flan that tastes like Egg Pie instead.Try this most favorite Filipino dessert: Leche Flan.

Recipe: Leche Flan RecipeIngredients 10 pieces raw eggs 1 small can condensed milk 1 cup fresh milk (or evaporated milk) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking Procedure1. Using all the eggs, separate the yolk from the egg white (only egg yolks will be used).2. Place the egg yolks in a big bowl then beat them using a fork or an egg beater3. Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly4. Pour-in the fresh milk and mix well5. Put the mold (llanera) on top of the stove and heat using low fire6. Put-in the granulated sugar on the mold and mix thoroughly until the solid sugar turns into liquid (caramel) having a light brown color7. Spread the caramel (liquid sugar) evenly on the flat side of the mold8. Wait for 5 minutes then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture on the mold9. Cover the top of the mold using an Aluminum foil10. Steam the mold with egg and milk mixture for 30 to 35 minutes.11. After steaming, let the temperature cool down then refrigerate12. Serve for dessert. Share and Enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 6

Spaghetti Carbonara or Pasta alla Carbonara is a pasta dish with white sauce originally derived from beaten eggs and grated cheese. As the dish became popular, different versions came into being including the creamy version that employs heavy whipping cream.

This carbonara recipe that we have has a richer and creamier sauce base compared to the original Italian version. If you will notice, I did not include salt and black pepper in the list of ingredients. The saltiness of the bacon and parmesan cheese is enough to bring flavor to the dish. If you feel like adding a little more flavor and spice, please feel free to do so.Try this recipe and let me know your thoughts.Carbonara RecipeIngredients 1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package instructions 4 pieces eggs, beaten 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 3/4 lb bacon, chopped 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated 2 tablespoons green onion, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 tablespoons butterWatch the cooking video:Cooking Procedure1. Combine beaten eggs, heavy whipping cream, and parmesan cheese then mix well. Set aside.2. Heat a cooking pot or pan then place the butter and let melt.3. Fry the bacon until the texture becomes crisp. Set aside.4. On the same cooking pot or pan, remove excess butter then saut the garlic and green onions.5. Put-in the spaghetti noodles and beaten egg- heavy whipping cream parmesan cheese mixture then mix well. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.6. Add the fried bacon and distribute.7. Transfer to a serving plate then serve.8. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 4

Spaghetti has always been my favorite since I was a kid. In fact this is the only dish that I order when we were dining out with the exception of fried chicken, of course. Back then, I was accustomed to the taste of Filipino Spaghetti, but I developed liking other versions as I grew up. At this point, spaghetti has been a common dish for me. The excitement might not be there anymore when I see it served in the dining table. In order for me to get excited once more for spaghetti, I thought of moving away from what is common by modifying the ingredients and adding the right amount of spice to get that extra kick. Thus, this Chicken Spaghetti Recipe was born.This dish is simple, but not ordinary. I liked the collaboration of flavors, especially the kick from the chipotle pepper. By the way, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce can be purchased in Mexican groceries. These are usually packaged in 2 to 4 ounces cans. If this is not available, try adding hot sauce like Sriracha.Are you a fan of Spaghetti? What is your favorite version?Try this Chicken Spaghetti Recipe and let me know what you think.

Chicken Spaghetti RecipeIngredients 1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package instructions 1 lb chicken, cleaned 8 ounces tomato sauce 4 ounces diced tomatoes 1 medium onion, minced 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley 1 tablespoon chipotle chili in adobo sauce 4 to 5 cups water 1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to tasteCooking Procedure1. Pour water in a cooking pot. Let boil.2. Add the chicken and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.3. Remove the chicken from the pot. Let the temperature cool down a little bit, and then shred the meat. Discard the bones.4. Heat olive oil in a pan.5. Saut onion and add the shredded chicken.6. Put-in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Let boil and simmer for 20 minutes.7. Add basil, dried parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.8. Arrange spaghetti noodles in individual plates and pour the sauce over. Top shredded cheese.9. Serve. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 6

Who doesnt want pasta? Even if pasta is not an authentic Filipino food, we still learned to love and enjoy it. In fact, there are some Filipino variations of some Italian pasta dishes that we really enjoy: like the Pinoy Spaghetti for example. Our palate must have adjusted to the taste of different pasta dishes that we had over the years to the point that some of us consider it as our comfort food. I must admit that I love lasagna and I consider it as one of my comfort food. Is pasta one of your comfort foods too? What is your favorite pasta dish?

I noticed that people are embracing healthy pasta dishes these days. Spaghetti dishes with less meat and more vegetables are preferred because of its health benefits. It also goes without saying that preparation time is faster since vegetables cook fast.What we have here is a very simple yet healthy pasta recipe that uses cherry tomatoes and fresh basil (I can still smell the basil as I write). This dish only took me less than 20 minutes to prepare and the taste was awesome.I am a certified carnivore but embracing healthy habits is one thing that I am considering at this moment. I decided to first start on my eating habits; this affects the foods that I choose to eat. Dont get me wrong. We will still be doing our favorite Pinoy recipes though healthy recipes and some food recipes for weight loss will be added- that is if you like the idea.I would love to hear from you. Please comment on this post and share your thoughts.Recipe: Spaghetti with Tomato and BasilIngredients 1 lb Spaghetti noodles 2 clove garlic, minced 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 8 pieces cherry tomatoes, halved Fresh cracked black pepper to taste 8 pieces fresh basil leaves, cut into strips 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to tasteCooking Procedure1. Cook the pasta according to package instruction.2. Heat a skillet or pan then pour-in the olive oil.3. Saut the garlic until color turns medium yellow.4. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes5. Drain the pasta then put it in the skillet or pan and toss.6. Add the fresh basil, salt, and pepper then toss the pasta once more.7. Turn off the heat then transfer the pasta to a serving dish.8. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top then serve. Share and enjoy!Number of servings (yield): 6