Special Macaroni Salad

This is an all time favorite of my whole family. This is very easy to prepare so do not be scared to try in making this delicious and special macaroni salad, all you have to do is prepare everything and mix all together and that's it! Enjoy your food.

Ingredients:
 1 kilo macaroni
1 bottle nata de coco/kaong ( any color 340grams)
1 cup diced cheese
1 cup diced canned peach
3 cans nestle cream or light cream
2.5 cups condensed milk
1 can fruit cocktail ( 450 grams)
1.5 cups pineapple tidbit

Procedure:
1. Cook the macaroni according to its packaging procedure, then drain and set aside.

2. Mix the macaroni, cream and milk. We do this procedure so that when we mix the rest of the ingredients it is easy to combine to avoid deformation.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate before serving.

Binignit

This is very related to the ginataang bilo-bilo of Luzon, but the Visayan version has "landang". Landang is a lumpy starch from palms, it gives the binignit a sticky texture and adds flavor. Have you used landang before? There are different colors of landang, I used the brown one.

Ingredients:
1 cup glutinous rice powder ( mixed with water and form into small balls)
1 cup landang ( washed thoroughly)
3 cups water
2 bananas (saba)
1 piece small cassava ( kamoteng kahoy)
1 purple sweet potato
sugar to taste
3 cups thin coconut milk ( hindi kakang gata)
1 cup thick coconut milk ( kakang gata)

Landang

Procedure:
1. In a pot put the water and landang, bring to a boil then simmer until cooked do not forget to stir every now and then.
2. Add the thin coconut milk then bring to a boil, when boiling add the cassava and simmer until tender. Add the sweet potato, banana and sugar then simmer until cooked.
3. Add the thick coconut milk and simmer until done.
4. Serve with a smile :-)

You can add sago, young coconut meat, etc for this recipe

Sweetened Squash ( Minatamis na Kalabasa)

A sweet treat for this weekend, easy to cook and budget friendly.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo squash
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
extra water for boiling

Procedure:
1. Clean the squash, slice to your desired size, then boiled until cooked. When it is cooked remove from water and set aside.

2. In a pan put the 1/2 cup water and sugar and let boil then put the squash upside down, simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat, then increase the heat allowing the water to evaporate making the brine form a thick syrup.

3. Turn off the heat and serve :)

Squash Maja

A nutritious snack or dessert for the whole family. You can cook this in less than 30 minutes.
 Ingredients:
2 cups cornstarch
4 cups coconut milk
1 cup Nestle cream or light cream
2 cups white sugar
2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup cooked squash (mashed)
Toasted dessicated coconut ( optional)

Toasted dessicated coconut

Mashed Squash

Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

2. Bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly until thickens. When it is already thick and firm it means it is cooked.

3.Pour in a molding tray then refrigerate before serving. Turn the try upside down for a smooth view of the maja, you can also sprinkle it with toasted dessicated coconut before serving.

 

Binangkal

Binangkal is a part of my childhood breakfasts, a neighbor is selling this at breakfast time and I always let my mom buy it for me, today I am missing it so I decided to make some. Here is the recipe for it.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp oil
1 whole egg
Sesame seeds

Preparations:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients. ( Salain)
2. Mix water, egg, oil and sugar, until blended well, then combine with the sifted dry ingredients. ( Just add the water and sugar mixture gradually.) Knead until the mixture is firm.

3. Spoon a portion of the mixture then roll into balls and roll over in sesame seeds.

4. Heat the oil then deep fry until golden brown

5. Serve with your favorite drinks.

Pinya Maja

I love to cook maja blanca with different flavors, pineapple tastes good, here is the recipe for it.
Ingredients:
2 cups cornstarch
4 cups coconut milk
1 cup Nestle cream or light cream
2 cups white sugar
2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup pineapple tidbits
Toasted dessicated coconut ( optional)

Toasted dessicated coconut

Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved.

2. Bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly until thickens. When it is already thick and firm it means it is cooked.
3.Pour in a molding tray then refrigerate before serving . ( you can sprinkle it with toasted dessicated coconut)

Four Seasons Fruit Salad

Perfect for the whole family, the flavors of the fruits are well blended with the cream and milk. Aside from it is very easy to make it is also economical and ingredients are just around the corner, so why don't you make some now?

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 piece cantaloupe
3 bananas ( plantain)
1 papaya
1/2 cup nestle cream or light cream
1/2 cup condensed milk

Procedure:
1. Slice the fruits according to your desired size.

2. In a bog mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Mix well and refrigerate before serving.

Avocado puree ( Nilamaw nga avocado)

I love this so much, a part of my childhood memories, my older sis always make this for us, because there is always ripe avocado, since we have a tree in our backyard. Creamy and delicious. We call this "nilamaw nga avocado" in my dialect.

Ingredients:
1 avocado
condensed milk to taste
ice

Procedure:
1.Divide the avocado and scrape it with a spoon and mash until pureed.

2. Mix with condensed milk, refrigerate then serve, or you can put some ice then serve.

Fruit Cocktail Salad

I always love this fruit cocktail salad, every time my sister serve this when we have family gatherings, expect that I will be the frst one who will grab a bowl of it, so creamy and yummy, how can I resist? I just want to share the simple way of making it. You can add more ingredients if you want, but this is my way of doing it.

Ingredients:
450 grams fruit cocktail (1 can) drained and set aside
2 bottles nata de coco ( different colors of your choice)
1 apple ( diced)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 can Nestle cream (300 grams)
1 cup condensed milk or to taste

Procedure:
1.In a big mixing bowl, put all the ingredients and mix well until fully blended.
2. Refrigerate before serving.

Ginataang Bilo-bilo

Ginataang bilo-bilo or ginataang halo halo is one of the most common Filipino snacks specially during rainy days. Halo-halo means mixed, that is why this dish is a halo-halo (mixed) of many ingredients, and what's amazing in it, is they blended well.You can make this dish as colorful as you want it to be, so it's up to you what color of ingredients you want to choose, for example sweet potatoes can be in white, orange, purple and yellow, the color of you ingredients will affect the color of the soup, but whatever the color is, one thing is for sure, this is delicious! Here is my simple recipe for this.

Ingredients:
1 cup glutinous rice flour ( mix with water and formed into small balls or bilo-bilo)
1 cup cooked sago
2 bananas (saba)
1 big sweet potato cut into cubes (kamote)
1/4 kilo ube cut into cubes
sugar to taste
3 cups thin coconut milk ( hindi kakang gata)
1 cup thick coconut milk ( kakang gata)

Saba

Procedure:
1. In a pot put the thin coconut milk and let boil then add the ube and sweet potato then simmer over medium heat until half cooked.
2. Add the sugar, banana and rice balls (bilo-bilo), stir and continue cooking over medium heat.
3. Once everything is cooked, add the sago and thick coconut milk, simmer until done.
4. Serve with a smile :-)

If you will use coconut milk in a can, boil 3 cups of water and follow the same procedure by cooking everything in it , once it is cooked add the coconut milk.

You can also add some cassava (kamoteng kahoy), jackfruit, etc for this recipe.