funny side up

Well, what's all the hulla on the chicken cashewla ? (me, channeling my ChefJohn-FoodWishes 😼) If you want to snazz your stir-fry a notch, add some nuts! and, Why NUT! Tools  🥜 wok Steps 🥜 1 cup raw cashew , toasted at 176C/350F for 5-8 mins, or pre-roasted. 250g chicken boneless, diced dash of salt extenders - (optional) 1 carrot, sliced half-moon or julienne 1 rib celery, sliced thin 1/4 bellpepper, diced button mushroom, sliced what-have-you?  broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, your sky's the limit. aromatics - 1-inch knob of ginger , grated or minced 4 cloves garlic , grated or minced 1 bunch of spring onion, sliced to strips sauce -  2 tbsp        soy sauce 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp        sugar or honey 1/3 cup     chicken/veggie stock 1 tbsp        cornstarch pinch         white pepper others - cooking oil 1 In a wok, add and heat the oil on high. 2 Stir-fry th...

Subarashii !   Hiragana:   素晴らしい  Katakana: すばらしい  Romaji:  subarashii  English : Great! Awesome. So good! For most pinoys, rice is life. To my Z, noodles is life.  It has been her favorite ever since, the if-u-were-to-eat-only-1-dish-for-a-year kind. To add some variety to her all-time favorite, we ventured to one of her favorite places - Japan!  And so we tried the  SOBA noodle dish, and it was a  good, good, good meal,  hontou ni (really) . This has been a mainstay in our meal recipes at home. It is easy to prepare, although, it requires typical Japanese ingredients on-hand (w hich, if you stock on it, will help you recreate more umami dishes hailing from Nihon). On humid days, it's "cooling" effect is just refreshing. Best of all, its a fun way to eat for the kids, like: use chopsticks ,  dip dip dip  a-dippin, those noodles into the sauce don't-drop-it- keep-it-tween-the-sticks challenge slurp, slurp, slu...

A-vo-ca-do Toast Love story with avocado... must say, I foresee it's forever.  🍞💖 🥑 good-looking green,  rich in vitamin E, (and other alphabets ) good fats ( excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, good for the 💚) , good taste! So, I saw this on my YouTube feed last time. From the whole list of versions of avocado toast , this one looked the easiest to do.  And, of course, I zeroed in to it! Ding! As per the video, they call this the Kylie Jenner toast; n ot sure she's the 1st one to create this combo, but still  shared that bit with my girls, as anything 'Kardashian'-ish seemed something they hear pretty often as Gen-Z & Gen-Alpha (must stay tuned to their times, yah). This one's really easy to whip. With only a  few staple ingredients it sure packed a whole lot of goodness! A must try - get  ready for some tummy lovin'  the next time this fruit is in season. 🥑 Steps Avocado , mash (roughly or finely, depends on the mood for the d...

It is rare to find a Filipino who does not like Jollibee food. The Philippines' very own homegrown fast food joint, showcasing the Filipino take on  pasta bolognese, burgers and fried chicken, it easily rivals other famous food chains around the globe. Already, this brand and its jolly bee mascot is an icon recognized by Filipinos of all ages around the world. As it has now expanded to multiple geos, I am excited that other cultures are taking a yummy taste for this happy bee. I for one love love love Jollibee. Each one in our family have our personal favorites, Jolly Spaghetti, ChickenJoy, Jolly Hotdog, and Peach Mango Pie to name a few.  The common favorite is <drumroll> Burger Steak! So, despite living elsewhere now, Jollibee remains close to our hearts. How we look forward to another vacation someday to our hometown; top on our to-do list is to feast on jolly meals with our kapamilya. Reminiscing, we make our homemade versions to satisfy our craving. So far,...

How to beat that summer heat ? If there's yogurt in the chiller, instead of ice cream, my bunch enjoys this yogurt bark . This is surely the easiest dessert to whip up. It's also fun to make as the kids can literally get their hands into this. Whatever fruit or spread is in the pantry can be used, as suits the mood of your tastebuds. As with any chilled treat, give it a wee bit of time to set. Maximize that teaching moment ✌ 🖉  of patience vs instant gratification. It will be totally worth the short wait! 🍦 Steps 2 tubs yogurt 1 tbsp honey toppings of choice, diced or mashed - fresh fruit - berries / banana / kiwi, chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, wafers, endless possibilities. (Tip: if  you are not keen to bite into a chilly fruit, you can opt to mash the fruit first, or use fresh fruit syrup, then drizzle it onto ur yogurt slabs). Mix yogurt and honey in a bowl. In a tray lined with baking paper, with a spoon  slather into slabs or tree bark shape . or feeling artsy or...

TZATIKI,  Greek: τζατζίκι).   A simple cooling Grecian dip that elevates the dish it comes with.  Perfect with grilled/fried meat of choice (poultry, fish, pork/beef).  Even works well with any veggie stick - celery, carrots, cucumber.  Hoorah for fellow snack-munch-bunch out there, this is great with chips and crackers too - more so for the hot/spicy/salty kind (snacks, I mean, yah? Well, also for the hot-headed 🌩 💢 😠 snacker . This dip can cool you down   🌨❅❆   , tellin ya'). It's very easy to prepare. One important ingredient is d ill . This is not a usual herb used in my kitchen. But, mainly for the love of tzatiki, I make sure we always have a stock in the kitchen, be it fresh or dried. 🌿 Steps 2 cups plain yogurt, cooled 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 4 pressed/crushed garlic cloves 1/3 cup chopped dill 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper mix all in the dip bowl. keep in fridge until ready to serve. then, enjoy -- dip dip dip away! Here's one. 🌶 ☼...

Behold, Muchu Peachu pyramid... and behold, too,  the anciently grand Machu Picchu of the Incas.  my pyramid side by side the real thing. ( Machu Picchu  image from  pixabay ) Well, I just had to insert that pun in, muchu peachu. (cringe? 😅) Let me ask this - w hat's not to like when a fruit is part of a dish?  Especially when it ends up into the young ones tummies?  Nourish, nourish, nourish.  A great pair to sandwiches, sausages, white or red meat, or any greens is the peach salsa. Fresh would be best, but the easily available canned version works great too. 🍑 Steps 1 tbsp olive oil 5 peaches, diced  TIP a: if opting to pan-grill, do so 1 minute on each side (no 1 tbsp oil needed). TIP b: pan-grill only the non-mushy ingredients, like fresh just-enough-ripe peaches.  Canned peaches, or even onions, are on the softer side, so better not grill it at all. 1/4 red onion diced 2 limes, squeezed brown sugar cucumber, diced tomato fresh/sauce/pa...