Dayrit's Smoked Porkloin

A few days ago, Mariger and I were talking on the phone and asked me where she could find a branch of Bun on the Run.  I researched the net and told her at the G/f of Security Land Bldg, Ayala cor Herrera Sts.  I have yet to visit the place.  Mona said there is also another one in BF Paranaque.

The next best thing I could do was make my own Porkloin Sandwich. I went to Dayrit's at the Fort and bought 1/2 K. of Smoked Porkloin.  Then Laughing Cow Cream Cheese portions in Rustan's.  My breakfast this morning was my own version of our favorite sandwich.

2 pcs. Toasted whole wheat pan de sal
2 portions of Laughing Cow Cream Cheese, divide each portion into two
2 slices of Dayrit's smoked porkloin, pan fried slightly
Butter

I always split open the pan de sal before toasting in my ovenette because the tops get burned all the time.  Then I spread butter and cream cheese on the toasted open bun.  Put the smoked porloin on one face then cover with the other one. 

MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmm

Mayette's Favorite Combination

Mayette loves to eat good food, she can even make simple dishes in combination taste really delicious.  Of course, her adobo is simply one of the best recipes I have ever tried.   Usually, after I eat it the first time, I shred  the meat and keep in the fridge with its own oil like a confit. 

I went to Baclaran today and was able to buy fresh Suahe.  I ate it for lunch together with Adobo Flakes Brown Rice sinangag, tomatoes and wansuy!  For Mayette and I, the best picnic Filipino food would be .....

Pork and Chicken Adobo, Hilabos na Suahe, tomatoes and wansuy!!! 

 I only eat brown rice but if I could eat it, the picnic food is better with freshly cooked sticky white rice and we would be in heaven!!!  Then ... drizzle the oil/sauce of Mayette's Adobo's over the rice( "Labay  Mantika").

It is really so simple but something I can eat over and over again.  I haven't had Coke Light since September 27... but this food combo goes well with ice cold soda!!!! 

Mama Sita's Soy-Stir and other things I like to buy in the supermarket.

I love Landmark supermarket the best because they have things you don't find in other supermarkets.  While I was doing my weekly grocery shopping I discovered a new product.  Maybe I wasn't minding it before, but in my eyes, it is a new product. 

It is Mama Sita's Soy-Stir sauce in a pouch for only 9.95!!!

  I read the instructions at the back and so easy to use!  I made Pancit Canton when I got home.  I don't know how to make good pancit so this new product made my noodles taste good ( I added more than what the recipe called for), just like what you would order in  a restaurant.... even better if you ask me... I've tried Pancit is some restos and I didn't like it.

Another product I always buy is Eden Melt Sarap. 

I like it better than Magnolia Quickmelt.  My favorite breakfast is pandesal with either Zaragosa Hot Sardines or flaked left over Mayette's Adobo (the best adobo reccipe IMO) with grated Eden Melt Sarap.

I have been having my Pan De Sal obsession lately.  I even drove all the way to Poblacion Market to buy.  The one near the drugstore, Villena corner Gabaldon Sts. have the light and airy pan de sal I like.... that when you press it wont spring back ... or when you flatten, it will remain flat.  Unlike the pan de sal I asked my maid to buy across EDSA, it was dense and heavy or what they call "sik-sik", I don't like it, even Wriggly had a hard time eating the pan de sal.

The bakery style pandesal is best eaten with Dari Creme!  I really love it!  I always have to have margarine and butter at home.  I still have to find a butter brand that I like.  I've tried Lurpak, Magnolia Gold, Golden Churn and Queensland in can.  I also have to find out if salted or unsalted is good with bread.  I know unsalted is best suited for baked goods and frosting because you can control the amount of salt.

So for this week .... these are the things I like from the supermarket. 

Bohol Trip

All by myself

Day 1

The day started very early for me.  I set the alarm clock at 4:45 am!  I didn't get much sleep the night before because  I was excited and a very unwise decision to watch CSI NY and Criminal Minds after midnight.  When I looked outside, it was raining very hard!  Normally, I would just get a cab from Estrella but decided to call for a taxi pick up service.

The flight was only 1 hour and 5 minutes.  Seconds before the plane was about to land, it was raining and was a bit disappointed .  I prayed hard to God for sunshine and for me to enjoy my vacation in Bohol.  I know this is hard to believe but when I got out of the plane, there was SUN!  It was bright and shining!  PAL people were ready with lots of umbrellas though but we didn't need them!

As soon as I got to Bohol Beach Club, I immediately changed into my 2 piece swimsuit.  Yes, boys and girls! Bikini this time ... not tankini!!!!  Hahahaha I had the place all to myself... I could have even gone topless!  No... I think that would have be too much.

The beach was really beautiful... my only problem being all alone in the entire stretch of the beach was that I was too scared to go into the water.  The ocean could have eaten me and no one would know.  I just enjoyed my very own Nipa umbrella and lounger... read a few pages of my book.

Lia's lounger and nipa umbrella

I also tried taking a nap in a purple hammock.  The wind was  cool and so strong ... it rocked my "duyan" and me to sleep... I probably snored  hahaha.



Purple Hammock



My view as I rest in the hammock.  hahaha  I really meant to show my feet.

There are 3 swimming pools at Bohol Beach Club....  I was so excited to share this in my blog ... the pools were classified into 3 different languages. Hahahahahaha  Ok...   this is really quite funny. 

The first one is a foreign speaking pool... 

because most of the people who used it were talking in a foreign language. 

Pathway from pool 1 to pool 2

The 2nd one is an English speaking pool...

I went swimming in this pool because it was shaded by the coconut trees.

and the third... a Filipino speaking pool!  I kid you not!  hahaha 

Even if I was on vacation, I still watched what I ate.  I mostly chose vegetables and soup.  Not exciting and boring, huh? 

I loved the ubod which was very tender.

Clam soup



Pinakbet and Molo soup

Day 2
I didn't go to Bohol to tour the countryside nor watch the Dolphins. So for me, instead of the usual Chocolate Hills, river cruise and Blood Compact site(saw it on my way to the bakery), etc.,  I opted to go to Bohol Bee Farm instead.  I read in the blogs that they serve organic salads with fresh flowers!!!  The restaurant has a charm of its own.

My view while having lunch.



Antique sewing machine table



They gave free appetizers, CabCab with green tomato salsa. Cabcab is cassava nachos.



The Chicken Halang Halang soup tasted like tinola with thin coconut milk.  What I like about their food is that all the vegetables used were from the farm, organically grown.

Coconut soup with chicken, patola, okra, turnips, carrots, red pepper and malunggay leaves.

I also tried their Camote-Mango-Pineapple Shake.

I couldn't taste the camote.

The Baby Back Ribs came with red rice and salad.  The flowers tasted like lettuce leaves. I loved their Honey Mustard dressing, it was like Mango milkshake. They served a small bottle of it and you could put as much as you like.  Very generous of them.



Edible flowers, yum!

  The Malunggay ice cream was too sweet for me, I didn't finish it. 

The texture and taste of the ice cream was that of the "dirty ice cream" type.

So that was my "Bohol Tour".

Day 3

I moved to the Dumaluan Beach area.

Dumaluan Beach

 There were more people.  Finally!  I was able to swim for a while in the morning.  The water cleared up a bit.  They said, usually after a storm, the water would be cloudy because the sand bed was disturbed.  I met 2 new friends while swimming.

I checked out early of the resort because I wanted to go to Island City Mall.  Hahaha... a city girl would always look for her comfort place.  I told the driver of the airport pick up service to drop me off at the mall instead of the airport because I wanted to get a cab and go to the Broas Bakery at the back of Baclayon Church.  The driver was giving me a "sales" talk that I still have time to do a little of the "Bohol Tour" for a fee, of course.  I said, No, thank you.  But when he volunteered to take me to Baclayon, I immediately agreed... for an additional fee. 

If some people were happy because they saw the Chocolate Hills (which I saw from the plane going home)  or held a Tarsier... for me, the happiness factor was very high because I was able to visit the bakery and had
 my picture taken!


Happy!

I'm in my BROAS obsession at the moment.  I bought 3 big packs! 

I also bought a small pack of baked polvoron from Sampaguita's but I didn't like it.  Tasted like puto seko.

 Their version is light and biscuit-like... 3 1/2 inches in length...



Osang's Broas


but too sweet for me... still... i ate a lot when I got home and spread thick butter on it!  I have to conclude, my broas taste better! Hehehehe.   The next time I bake, will make it as narrow and as short as Osang's.



They dry the broas over twigs and charcoal.

 When I got to the Island City Mall, I checked in my luggage at Travel Hub.

Yes, I used a luggage, hahaha  for a 3 day trip... it was over the weight limit when I checked in, 15.6 kg but they didn't let me pay for the excess.  Going home it was a bit lighter by 1 kg.  I never travel light.

For lunch, I went to Jo's Chicken Inato "Payag".  I took a tricycle from the mall.  I've read in some blogs that their barbecue chicken was good plus the place has a "cocky" whimsy appeal.  Indeed, it was decorated with different kinds of chicken-rooster stuff, even their lights where shaped like chicken eggs, one chandelier was a basket with small egg shaped lights inside.  I saw my new friends there and joined their table.

 I ordered the Chicken and Pork Barbecue combo and adobong Kangkong.  I always have to have vegetables with my meals now.

 

I took another tricycle ride to the mall to kill time before my flight.  I had lemongrass juice at The Buzz Cafe, mall outlet of Bohl Bee Farm. 


I was so happy to discover  that the supermarket has  my favorite bacon from Cebu!  I bought 2 packs.

It was a short cab ride from the mall to the airport. And then.... Home Sweet Home!

Bohol  is truly a beautiful and scenic place.  If one seeks peace and tranquility, then it is the place for you.

But then ... as I've said, I'm a city girl. I still prefer Boracay 100 times over.  It is like being in Manila but with a beautiful beach.  I can't wait for my next trip!


A visit to Tita Bebet

Tita Jit (Tita of Jing) from Bangkok is in Manila at the moment.  She cooks really good Thai food, we would even talk long distance on the phone when I need to ask her about a recipe or cooking tips.  We visited Tita Bebet (Mom of Jing) today and brought food.

Curry Crab

Lia's Simple Paella

Tita Jit made her own version of curry crab and I made my Simple Paella (April 17, 2010 post).  The curry crab was like our version of Ginataang Alimango but she used evaporated milk instead of coconut milk with curry and other spices..  I had 2 BIG servings!  A bit embarrassing because they were all done eating and I still wasn't finished.  Sometimes, I don't know if I eat quite slow or I eat a lot.  Hahahaha  But I bet the answer is the latter.

Tita Jit also gave me lime, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and gherkins.  My mind was overwhelmed with ideas on how to use the ingredients.

I couldn't wait anymore for tomorrow, so as soon as I got home, I already made a salad using the lime and the gherkins!  The gherkins are like baby cucumber but crunchier!  Sweeter, even, it was like eating pears, sometimes if you are unlucky, the pears would be so sour.

I added pomelo and tuyo flakes to complement the tartness of the lime dressing with Thai fish sauce, a quarter teaspoon of brown sugar, shallots and chili flakes.

Gherkins and Lime

Galangal

I wonder what I'm going to cook tomorrow with my new ingredients .... Hmmmm... Tom yum soup?  Galangal chicken soup? Cereal prawns with kaffir lime leaves???  The possibilities are endless!

Baked Shrimps

I had a delicious dinner tonight albeit a little unhealthy.  Baked Shrimps with plain(boring  LOL) salad greens.  But then.... my cholesterol is low and normal, so I am allowed... according to Dr. Lia  hahahaha.  I didn't use honey on my dressing and it was a bit tart and also no fruits.  My greens were my "rice".  I discovered, if I eat a salad at night, I don't have a difficult time falling asleep.

Baked Shrimps

Loved it!

10 pcs. shrimps
2 T. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. Eden Melt Sarap cheese, grated

Slit the back of the shrimps with a pair of kitchen scissors, remove black vein and use your hands to open the flesh of the shrimps until it lies flat.

Combine the butter, garlic and cheese; put on top of the butterflied shrimp.

Bake at 400F until the shrimps are cooked, about 5-10 minutes.  Do NOT over bake or else it will be dry.

It would have been perfect if I had a baguette and dipped it in the butter sauce!!!!  Ahhhhh I can feel my arteries clogging!  Or maybe it will taste good with Swiss Rosti? It's grated potatoes with salt and pepper and formed into patties then fried in oil or butter, more or less like hash browns.

Adobong Pusit

Finally!!!!!  I was able to cook inky Adobong Pusit!  Probably the squids were fresh, I got them from Baclaran.  I followed the recipe from the Maya cookbook. So easy.... A little bummer though,  I was baking Broas for Mona and I forgot to sprinkle powdered sugar on top.  I was so excited with my pusit.  I really can't multitask.  The Broas taste like Mamon Tostado.  Mona said it's ok because she will just spread thick "wall to wall" butter on them.

Adobong Pusit (Maya Cookbook)

Inky Black!  Just the way I like it!

1/2 K. Pusit
1/4 C. water
1/2 C. vinegar
garlic, crushed
1/2 t. black peppercorn
1 t. rock salt
garlic, crushed
onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 T. cooking oil
1 t. sugar

 Use a stainless steel cooking pot.  Cook pusit in water, vinegar, garlic, peppercorn and salt.  Drain liquid.  Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes.  Add the pusit, saute for a few minutes then add the reserved liquid.  Season with sugar and cook until sauce has been reduced.

Broas for Mona

.

Garlic Shrimps with Broccoli

I don't eat salads at night  now because the fruits and honey elevate my blood sugar.  So, for the past few nights, I've been eating cooked vegetables.  To my delight,  my blood sugar level is below 200 already! That hasn't happened in months.

I am undergoing a food lifestyle change.  I don't want to take a lot of medications, if I can help it.  I am proud of my accomplishments.  Ever since September 1, 2010, I changed my rice from white to brown - half cup for breakfast and another half cup for lunch.  NO rice for dinner.  (There were only a few times I was not able to follow my diet because I was dining out.)   Then on September 27, I stopped drinking Coke Light.  It really is great feat on my part.  I hope I have the fortitude to keep it up.

The only kind of fruit I eat is Pomelo.  I have been researching online and it helps regulate the blood sugar and a lot of other diseases.  Oh... also if I can help it .... I don't eat pork or beef.

Hahahaha  No wonder I've been having withdrawal symptoms!!!!! 

My dinner tonight was so easy to prepare!   Probably took only 10 minutes, including preparations.

Garlic Shrimps with Broccoli

 1 T. oil
3 oz. peeled shrimps
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t. Knorr Shrimp bouillon dissolved in 2 T. water
1 t. oyster sauce, optional

Heat oil in a wok, saute shrimps, when half cooked, add the garlic and continue stirring.  Don't let it brown.

Add the broccoli florets, then the bouillon-water mixture.  Cook until liquid evaporates.  Add oyster sauce to enhance the flavor.