Nuts Over Nutella
It was my sister-in-law who introduced me to Nutella some time in the late 90s. It’s a hazelnut spread with skim milk and cocoa. And mind you, it is by Ferrero, one of the finest names in the chocolate universe. My nieces and nephew as well as my daughter are all nuts over Nutella, and so are we parents! It actually takes a lot of will power to not just sit on one corner with a jar of Nutella on one hand and a spoon on the other.
One way we enjoy Nutella, other than with a piece of toast and, uhm, straight out of the jar, is with bananas. Oh you read it right! I’m quite sure some of you will find this combo a tad crazy. It does make me go bananas and nuts, too! Crazy I tell you.
It’s a fool proof way to get Hubby to eat fruit. Compromise is the key! Hee hee. It’s perfect for dessert or as a snack.
Alternatively, Hubby sometimes does a peanut butter and banana combo. But not this blogger! Chocolate trumps peanut butter anytime!
Do you have a favorite food combo which others might find weird? Please do share. I won’t judge you. Promise!
Desserts/Sweets/Baked Goodies, Fruits & Vegetables, Guilty Pleasures | Comments (3)
Ensaladang Mangga (Green Mango Salad)
Sliced green mango plus sliced tomatoes plus bagoong (shrimp paste) equals ensaladang mangga (green mango salad. Most people add some chopped onions. But as I may have mentioned a couple of times already, Hubby and I are not so fond of fresh onions. Green mango salad is not salad as we know it. It’s more of a sawsawan (dipping sauce) or a side dish that is usually paired with grilled meats and seafood.
I scored some green mangoes again yesterday when I went to the supermarket (not Asian). I was a tad disappointed though because green as the mangoes were, they were almost ripe already! Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from making ensaladang mangga to go with our broiled tilapia.
Fruits & Vegetables | Comment (0)
Manggang Hilaw at Bagoong (Green Mango and Shrimp Paste)
I had a eureka moment at the Asian supermarket last Wednesday. Finally, they had green mangoes (mangang hilaw as we call it in the Philippines) that weren’t all bruised and mushy. The last 2 or 3 times we went to the supermarket, my heart sank whenever I saw that the green mangoes weren’t good enough to be taken home. This time, I went home victorious! Woot woot!
Ever since I was a little girl, I was already fond of green mangoes…yes, mangoes that are unripe. :D The greener, the more unripe and the more sour, the better. My Mom, on the other hand, likes green mangoes that already have a tinge of yellow so they are no longer as sour. In the Philippines (and according to Wiki) there are four mango varieties: Indian Mango, Kinalabaw or Mangang Kalabaw, Pico and Apple Mango. I like the Kinalaw best. It’s the most sour when still green! Hee hee. 
I can snack on green mangoes. And I can eat it with rice, too. Either way, there has to be bagoong (shrimp paste)! Here in the US, we buy the Kamayan brand of bagoong.
It is ready to be served, but some still saute it in garlic and onions.
Ahhh, mangang hilaw at bagoong…such a simple pleasure. They never fail to put a smile on my face…and my tummy, too! Hee hee. 
Fruits & Vegetables | Comments (7)
La.Pi.S. #9: Red
Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. I have a rather weird way of eating them, something I got from my Mom. I dip them in powdered milk mixed with a little bit of sugar. :) Sometimes, I go by the more acceptable way of eating them, which is with whipped cream. Ooh, and how about dipping strawberries in chocolate, like in a chocolate fountain or chocolate fondue? Ooh-la-la! Well, I haven’t really done that here at home. Although, I saw this chocolate fountain thingy at Party City! Hmmm, maybe I ought to get one for a more stylish way of snacking on strawberries. Or would that be too much? Hee hee. 
Fruits & Vegetables, La.Pi.S. | Comments (7)
Melon Madness
Cantaloupes, or melons as we call them in the Philippines, were on sale at my favorite supermarket last Monday. I bought 3 pieces. I totally forgot that hubby was out of town so between Abby and me, 3 pieces of melon is A LOT. :D It was only yesterday that I got to open and cut them all up for chilling in the fridge. They are soooo sweet. I can’t help but pop a few pieces in my mouth every now and then while I was cutting them to bite-sized pieces. Abby loved them, too!
As soon as they were cooled, I made Abby a no-brainer Melon and Cream.
She just likes whipped cream so much!
Coming from her school today, Abby wanted me to buy her smoothie at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which is just around the corner from where we live. Ever the scrooge that I am, I told her I’ll just maker her a Melon Smoothie at home. ;) She asked if she could help me and I agreed.
As soon as we entered the kitchen, I went to work and made Abby her smoothie. I got the blender out, threw in half a cup of crushed iced, half a cup of (Abby’s) soy milk, about 5 bite-sized pieces of melon (1inch x 1 inch) a little bit of sugar. I poured Abby’s in her rocket ship cup with starw, and mine…in a wine glass.
When we have ice cream, we add a scoop of ice cream for a more sinful smoothie. ;) But I’ll be holding off on the ice cream for now…at least for myself. I just froze some bananas earlier. We’ll probably make a banana smoothie later or tomorrow. Hee hee. The things we drink in summer.
Beverages, Fruits & Vegetables | Comment (1)
Veggie Delight
In an effort to cook and eat healthy, I made sure I dropped some veggies in my supermarket cart last week. I bought some lettuce, broccolli and cabbage only to discover when I got home and opened the fridge that I still had half a bunch of broccolli, two lettuce heads and a head of cabbage! Plus, I still had an unopened bag of baby carrots and one that is open already! So you see, the effort to cook healthy and include lots of vegetables in our diet has been with me all this time. Not only that, there was still left over roasted chicken (supermarket bought) from I don’t know when (but still tasted good, promise!) and the previous night’s shrimp in garlic and butter.
To avoid being reprimanded for hoarding veggies and letting them waste in the fridge, I had to do something with the vegetables. And so, I took out the half-a-head of broccolli, what’s left of the opened package of carrots, some mushrooms and the left-over shrimps and chicken and proceeded to cook a maskipaps (maski papaano) vegetable dish.
The procedure: In a pan of hot oil, saute about 5 cloves of crushed garlic and half an onion (sliced, of course!). And then add the carrots and mushrooms and allow everything to simmer for a few minutes. Next, throw in the shrimps and chicken (or whatever you found in your fridge) and the broccolli last. Add a tablespoon or two of oyster sauce and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a crunchy broccolli, turn off the fire as soon as it changes to a bright green color. Otherwise, wait until it’s all wilted. Voila. A veggie dish that’s easy to make and healthy, too!
Fruits & Vegetables | Comment (1)
