Healthy Breakfast for Us, Queens - Fresh Fruits, Nuts, Naarmann Yoghurt, and Honey


Hello, queens! This is the fourth installment of my previous post about how I enjoy eating papaya fruit. This glammed-up version is extra special because it is not only pleasing to the eye but packed with health benefits. Yoghurt is high in protein and proven to be effective to relieve persistent diarrhea, decrease cholesterol level, best alternative to milk for lactose intolerant people, and highly effective to strengthen your immune system to fight viruses such as covid-19.

With added vitamins and minerals from fresh fruits, this meal is filling, very healthy, and appetizing. The best breakfast if you are on a low-carb diet without depriving yourself from delicious and tasty food to start your day and without the feel of missing grease and fat of your  usual morning breakfast. 




Yogurt is brand new to my palate too, we were not used to eating it because I grew up in the province with only limited food option, never knew this food existence until lately. I've been very fascinated about yogurt since moving in El Nido.  The wide arrays of gourmet and home-made yogurt in this touristy town has opened-up vast option of incorporating yoghurt in my appreciation of food and creating new recipes from sauces, to smoothies, and breakfast bowls. My love affairs with FroYo (Frozen Yogurt) is a different thing though.

Learning how to ferment fresh milk and turn it into yoghurt at home was total fun and satisfying. I will definitely share to you how easy to make it, very soon. Making yogurt apart from being easy is economical and addictive. I made sure to never run out of my favorite yogurt in my chiller since then.




How to Eat Ripe Papaya - 3 Ways



Papaya is very common here in El Nido and is highly in season nowadays. With the influx of tourist going very low to none because of the pandemic, this tropical fruit has become so very cheap in the local market and convenient stores nearby. It has became my favorite, my go-to-food along with bananas when I'm on diet days because of its abundance here. That's right, I am trying to lose weight again for as long as I can remember, lol! This time its different and I hope it would work-out. 

Side story: I made a meal plan mix of intermittent and fruit only days and my whole journey will only be shared with you should I succeeded to achieve my goal of 60 kilograms from 82 kilograms. Or maybe not, haha! 

Its has been 2 months, with many cheat days in between, a challenge, long way, but I will get there. Promise!




Papaya is also my superfood since suffering from occasional gout attacks. Rich in potassium and big supporter of kidney health, low in purine, and is safe for gout because it cleans out toxins deposited in the kidneys and reduce the accumulation of uric acid in the blood. 

There are many ways how to eat and cook papaya; The nearly ripe crisp papaya with coconut vinegar , salt and pepper for afternoon snack, pickled papaya side dish for grilled chicken inasal, and papaya in the good old Chicken Tinola Soup for the rainy days are some of my top picks!  Cooking unripe papaya the old Filipino way with coconut milk and dried fish was delish and awesome but its a different story.

I got this from one of our business partners when I saw her post online harvesting papaya from her backyard, begged to buy it but she gave it to me free! Its too beautiful not to be shared, it deserve a da*n blog post and to make sense of this, I'm going to share with you three different ways how to enjoy eating it. 4 ways actually, the 4th will be on my next post, whenever it maybe, lol!




The first is to eat it fresh. Scoop a spoonful straight from the pulp and enjoy! Its uncomplicated, the most basic, simple, and sometimes the most delicious if you've found the right papaya for your taste buds.

Second is to squeeze citrus or calamasi juice. If your papaya is too sweet for your liking, the acid of calamansi is of great complement to the fruit. This one is my utmost choice.

Third but definitely not the last is to drizzle honey on it if your papaya is bland and needs more flavor. I used St. Dalfour Orange Blossom  Honey but wild honey or any honey will do to satisfy your sweet tooth.

You may opt to eat the seeds and skin to add texture but I think nobody does that. 

So, there you have it ladies and gents, stay tuned for my next post on the fourth and the most beautiful way to enjoy the tropical papaya fruit. Byers!

Yogurt-Dill Sauce



The perfect garnish for my Fiesta Chicken Tortilla Wrap is a trial sauce I made from basic ingredients available from home. This Dill-Yogurt Sauce is a great base to accompany every flavor wrapped in my dish. Very basic, probably the simplest sauce recipe I made but gorgeously pact with flavor to harmonize festive flavors in my recipe. 

I mean, it’s tangy and full of bright and fragrant fresh dill. This recipe uses a small amount of lemon to add a great depth of flavor, with mayonnaise to offset the tartness of the yogurt and lemon, and salt and pepper to slightly balance the sauce.




Ingredients
1 cup Naarmann Profi-Joghurt
1/2 cup Lady's Choice mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Combine everything in a bowl and serve as base of the wrap or drizzle on top before rolling it up.





Extra Special Mother’s Day at Home with The Manila Hotel



Mother’s Day is a yearly reminder to cherish our relationship with our moms. Given this year’s unique circumstances, many of us will be celebrating this special day at home or even away from the special women in our lives—mom, grandmas, and aunts. Still, even when fancy dinners are impossible, Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be canceled. With some creativity and preparation, you can still give the most special woman in your life the Mother’s Day she deserves.

The Manila Hotel pulls all the stops for you to still be able to give her a memorable Mother’s Day. This home celebration will have a five-star hotel feel and The Manila Hotel will make sure it gets close to a real feast. 

The Manila Hotel’s Mother’s Day Surprise gives you discounts when you choose to order the food-and-cake bundle and pay online on or before May 8, 2020 (Friday). You may choose items from the A La Carte Menu or Home Buffet sets (Filipino, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese favorites, as well as Certified Halal items) and get a 20% discount on your food bill, and a 10% discount on the cake of your choice. 

Because mothers deserve the only the best, you can choose from our awesome selection: our decadent Opera Cake; Ohaina Chocolate Gateau, a Lifestyle Inquirer Best Dessert Winner; the mouthwatering Trio of Chocolate Mousse, and our amazing Mango Cheesecake. 

To order or for more information, please call 8527 0011 or message 0998-9501912. 

Press Release: This means that this material is fully and directly from the company issuing the press release. This also means that this website is not the author of the statement being read. Lakandiwa is simply providing the information for readers who may be interested.

Fiesta Chicken Wrap




Experimenting in the kitchen during isolation is so much fun. Discovering and learning new dishes is more than satisfying but liberating to prepare. I can't complain being lock-down here in El Nido town where access to produce and basic food has been under control since the quarantine started. I am very thankful to the joint forces of private business sector and local government.

Closed establishments and restaurants started to re-open and slowly going back to business since ECQ was changed to GQ by selling take aways and offering deliveries via different social media platforms. Bored in the house, I thought of taking the avenue of Mexican cuisine with tortilla wraps I bought from Sausage with Benefits Restaurant at Php 130 - 10 pcs.




It’s my first time to make a wrap so I research online and surprised with huge collection of wraps around the world. It's like blank canvass where you can paint anything you want, I decided to make my own by filling it in with ingredients available from our kitchen and local market. It's colorful and bursting with different flavors and textures. 

It tasted like festive celebration of senses in every bite, I felt joy. With sauce dripping down my arms I thought of calling this dish “Fiesta Wrap" because: 1) in celebration of my town's Fiesta which was yesterday 2) It looks like banderitas and 3) It's a melting pot of different tastes. It is “fiesta” in tortilla wrap form.




Ingredients
5 pcs Tortilla Wraps
1 medium cucumber, cut lengthwise
1 medium size mango, sliced
1 medium avocado, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 Starfruit or balimbing, sliced
165 grams Eden Cheese, grated
100 grams lettuce
100 grams arugula

Sauce
Yogurt-Dill sauce (will share on my next post)

Chicken Cajun: 
500 grams chicken breast fillet
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
Sesame seeds to garnish




Directions
1)Add butter in a heated pan and sauté onion and garlic.
2)Add chicken and cook for about 10 minutes.
3)Season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and cook for another 5 minutes.
4)Put in a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Assemble
Heat Tortilla wrap in a pan for about 3 to 5 minutes each side.
Take and assemble everything you like from all of the ingredients
Roll it up and it’s a wrap!

Happy Eating!




Fiesta Buko Salad Eleganza Extravaganza



Today is my hometown’s Fiesta and no one can stop me to celebrate while in quarantine because I’m going to live it up with the best food of every fiesta brings: Fiesta Buko Salad! 

This salad is the diva version of Pinoy dessert and one of my favorites to make.  It’s very easy and fun because you don't need to cook, you just need to mix everything, freeze, and voila! …serve! The important factor that matters most to make it extra special is the selection of ingredients.

Buko Salad is the main attraction, always present on the main stage of every special occasion in Pinoy household. In fact, a well-known brand labelled their fruit cocktail product, a key ingredient to Buko Salad “Fiesta” because fiesta is the best representation of Filipino’s time of joyful celebration. Fiesta is when we cook traditional, hearty food, throw open doors to visitors, elaborate multi-day festivals, parades, and themed street dance to keep our community roots alive. Each Family around the country has their own version of this Pinoy favorite dessert, I tasted some with raisins, calamansi juice, jelly, kaong, gelatin, and fresh local fruits. All were tasted well. Who wouldn't like the sweet and creamy dessert whatever in it? No one. 




I'd love to doll-up my food, experiment, upgrade, and glamorize them. I'm a constant rule breaker. If there's drag race about food, I’m a sure winner baby, because I don't play extra lol! Cooking and making food are another ways of dealing with stress and boredom during this corona pandemic so here I am, adding colors, texture and flavor in our classic Pinoy dessert. To elevate whether its Buko salad or Fruit Salad, here's how my family make them.

I normally use the "imported" version of Del Monte fruit cocktail which have peaches and grapes in it. Yes, just between us squirrel friends, there are 2 kinds of Del Monte Fruit Cocktail on the grocery shelves. If you pay attention, it’s normally the expensive one with a picture of peach on the label. I can’t find it here in El Nido so I bought a can of peaches in syrup separately to cut and add to the local version of Del Monte fruit cocktail. I also love to add fresh grapes in my salad to add more texture, no harm intended, lol! It’s better if you peel the grapes, but in this case, I’m kinda lazy so I just wash, dry and add them.




Ingredients

1000 grams shredded young coconut
825 grams Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Cocktail
825 grams canned Peach, cut into bite sizes
300 grams fresh crimson grapes
600 ml all-purpose cream
165 grams Eden cheese, cut into cubes

Directions

In a large bowl, mix everything together put in a freezer for at least 1 hour.

Serve with cherry on top. Happy Eating!




Mango-Avocado Salsa



Someone asked from Facebook what was the side dish of my Chicken Adobo Flakes from yesterday's blog post. So here it is, my homemade, restaurant-style salsa: Mango-Avocado Salsa, one of my most frequently made recipes!

This is perfectly served with tortilla chips or as topping or bed for any grilled or fried fish, pork, and chicken, or simply as side-dish to accompany any meat for a tropical vibe palate. It is colorful, a combination of tangy and sweet flavor, very tropical, summery and irresistible!

Mangoes are in-season during summer and very sweet, I used the nearly ripe mango so I could achieve a little bit of sourness to balance the taste to accompany the main Adobo Flakes dish. I swapped some essential ingredients of what I already have in my fridge like lemon for lime and basil for cilantro and tasted just perfect.




Ingredients
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, sliced
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice or lime juice
Optional: habanero pepper, cucumber 

Directions:
Mix avocado, mango, red onion, tomato, and chopped basil in a bowl, add lemon juice salt and pepper to taste and serve by the side of your main dish. 

Happy Eating!



Leftover Makeover || Chicken Adobo Flakes



Good morning, ka-diwa! I've seen a lot of chicken dishes on my timeline today and I'm very excited to share mine. Thank you for the Ayuda of the local government, poultry has become the saving food for the whole community as whole chicken has been distributed per family. 

Dressed chicken has been very affordable too since the pandemic. I hope you were able to stock plenty, make Adobo if you don't have freezer and store in a cool, dry place to last for days. I love chicken and will probably stock more should the cost keeps going down, hopefully. 

Currently, there is an oversupply of poultry around the country and according to the mainstream media it’s because the COVID-19 pandemic slashed demand from restaurants. I can’t believe that farm gate prices will fall to as low as P30 from P70 per kilo as quoted in the article. However, the price is still high at Php 150 to Php 180 per kilo here in El Nido, why?! On a side note: I once read from Bill Gates Blog, raising chickens would solve a huge problem and the ultimate solution to poverty. I understand why when I read his points and if in case I survive this pandemic, I'm planning to raise chickens too as alternative source of income and to stay alive.

Going back to our chicken supply, many of us made Adobo out of it, the easiest and tastiest recipe for us, Filipinos, Ikr? And if you're tired of Adobo, here's a creative idea on how to turn leftover chicken Adobo into new meal.




Ingredients
500g leftover chicken Adobo
1 cup oil

Directions
Shred chicken Adobo along the grain.
Heat a frying pan and add the oil.
Once oil becomes hot, fry the shredded chicken Adobo in medium heat until becomes crisp and golden brown.
Turn-off heat and transfer fried Adobo in a separate plate lined with paper towel to absorb the oil.
Serve with fried rice, eggs, and mango-avocado salsa by the side (I will share how to make it tomorrow).
Happy Eating!

Banana - Garbanzos con Hielo



It's another day in quarantine here in El Nido and I can't wait to go outside the town on May 1 when we enter another phase of quarantine: General Community Quarantine. I miss my home in the nearby town of Taytay and I'm planning to go home for at least 2 days should the border patrol allows inter town travels and if public transport would be available. 

While waiting, let me continue to explore food and share my Halo-halo hack today. Halo-halo is a much-loved treat in Philippine households for decades, a current fave for summery celebrations, deliciously sweet and creamy but I don't like all its ingredients especially the kaong, so here we go, I made my own! 



Ta-da! Halo-halo treat transformed with my only favorite ingredients: Banana and sweet chick pea (garbanzo). (Say hello, Diabetes and Gout!)

Prepping up is so easy, we just bought ready-made sweet chickpeas and we cooked sweetened plantains. The only hard part is to wait until it cool down. Here's how to make sweetened plantains or Minatamis na saging.




Ingredients
6 pieces ripe plantains, sliced
1 cups water
1 cup brown sugar


Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, simmer until plantain are cooked and sauce becomes syrupy.
Turn off heat and let it cool.

Serve cold with Garbanzos, crushed ice and evaporated milk.





Mushroom Porridge in Truffle Coconut Cream



When east meets west - that is exactly what my dish today: Mushroom Porridge in Truffle Coconut Cream. 

An original take in exploring food by combining the sophistication of Italy's truffle and mushroom and exotic Philippine coconut milk. Should I let the consistency a bit firmer and thicker, reduce some coconut milk or eliminate heavy cream, it could've been the Pinoy version of my favorite Risotto Tartufo Funghi at Mama Lous  which I'm a huge fan of. But I decided it's a porridge, not risotto. Let's stick to that for now, okrr?😉




Consider this as a developing recipe, and should I open a restaurant, I will definitely add this on the menu...  with more or less, 100 more cooking tests to achieve the right amount of creaminess of this dish.

Absolutely right, this recipe is super creamy, combining heavy cream and big amount of coconut milk was a bit over my calculations. Could have been perfect if coconut cream and heavy cream were reduced into two. Balanced cream was my challenge to refine this recipe, I failed, but I still liked it. I will post it anyway in case someone wants to try, just cut the cream and coconut milk in half, or totally eliminate heavy cream because I think its overpowering the coco milk. 

If you prefer an over creamy dish, oh yes, this one is for you! Go on and try this recipe but don't say I didn't warn you 😋




Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. olive oil
150 grams shiitake mushrooms, sliced
250 grams glutinous rice, rinsed
3 tbsp. truffle oil
2 knorr chicken cubes
Salt and pepper
4 cups coconut cream
250 ml nestle cream
4 cups water


Directions

In a large pot, add in 1 tbsp. olive oil and sauté garlic and mushrooms.

Add in a pinch of pepper and salt, then cook for a couple minutes until slightly dry and aromatic.

Add in glutinous rice, chicken cubes and water then bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes. If porridge gets too thick at any point, stir in 1/2 cup water to dilute.

Add in Coconut cream and heavy cream. Bring to boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle truffle oil and turn off the stove.

Plate, take a photo for insta, and serve. Happy eating!



Homemade Milk Tea: Lipton Earl Grey Milk Tea with Nata de Coco Sinkers and St. Dalfour Orange Blossom Honey



If you are one of the people who has “milk tea” as your blood type, I have great news for you: You can make Milk Tea at your home!

Having quick summer beverage to quench your thirsts while experiencing more scorching hot temperature to 36 °F as forecast today, is very easy. With just 3 to 5 ingredients, few tricks and tweaks, you can actually make it in just 10 minutes. Plus, this tea is surprisingly cheap if you compare to the prices of your favorite tea house. Probably three folds cheaper than my favorite Macau Imperial's Black Pearl Milk Tea. Its hand crafted by you, with just the right amount of sweetness level, especially for you. 




Put many ice cubes, this is a very refreshing, summer beverage drink of the year 2020!

One option is to make it classic: Just combine steeped or brewed tea, milk, and sugar or honey. I used Lipton's Classic Earl Grey a traditional British flavor tea instantly recognisable by distinctive flavor of bergamot. It’s totally classic, bold and easy.

Another option is to make it something more exotic with infused tropical flavor, which I did on this recipe. A combination of British and Philippine tastes by adding deliciously refreshing twist of sweet Nata de Coco as sinker. Shall I put my own label and trademark into it, I will call this Lakan Diwa Tea, lol!




Ingredients:
4 Lipton Classic Earl Grey Tea bags (Ratio: 1 bag to 1 glass of tea)
Nata de Coco (Optional)
2 cups water
200 ml Alaska Evaporada or any Evaporated Milk
4 oz. St. Dalfour Orange Blossom Honey, or sugar, or any sweetener

Directions
Bring water to a boil, turn off heat add tea bags and steep until tea is dark, about 5 minutes and let it cool.
In a clean pitcher, add Nata de Coco.
Add lots of ice.
Pour in cold tea, add honey and evaporated milk 
Stir until honey is dissolved. 
Pour in a glass and serve. Happy drinking!



Avocado Toast with local Ham, Sunny Side-up Eggs and Arugula



I am one of majority Filipinos who rejected Avocado in savory dish. People who eat it in salads or dip were psychopaths, I thought haha. I always wanted it to be sweet, creamy and ice blended. It’s not even my favorite, don't have any cravings at all. I probably eat it once a year when its season. Imagining eating it in a savory dish makes me feel sick.

Not until today when I tried making chunky and creamy avocado with local ham that has been on the fridge for more than 1 month, sunny side-up eggs and fresh arugula on top of toasted sourdough batard bread. Honestly, I just want to make it because it’s photogenic plus I’d like to give a chance and to appreciate it in a salty, fatty brunch today. Heck, I promise myself to be open minded when it comes to food and so I have to, YOLO!




Little did I know that it will be on the list of my favorites. I really liked it! Just dash of pepper and salt, God, it was so goddamn delicious! Nice and healthy substitute for mayo or any dressing if you are on a diet. It was bursting with color and flavor too! 

It was luscious, today’s brunch experience was so rad!

Rich in polyunsaturated fats, Avocado needs more protein to balance the taste. You may add salmon, beans, chicken, eggs, or bacon. Arugula leaves were the bomb, don't miss 'em!




Ingredients

2 slices of sourdough batard bread
Butter
1 small ripe avocado, cut in half and sliced
3 slices ham or any protein
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili flakes (optional)
Sesame seeds


Directions

Spread butter on top of bread and toast in oven for 5 minutes
While toasting, fry eggs in a non-stick pan
Fry ham afterwards.
Assemble in a plate: Bread, Ham, Avocado and sprinkle with salt, pepper, sesame seeds and chili flakes. Eggs and arugula by the side
Serve and enjoy. Happy Eating!



Truffle Mushroom Scrambled Eggs



Food is my art. A sway in every dance, lyrics to a melody, pigments of color in a canvas. The essence of my world.

It’s my presentation of my experiences both real and imagined from my eyes and palate. Food, for me, should evolve and should not be limited, accurate, nor govern by rules. Well, except of baking which require exact amount of measurements. But other cooks and known chefs were able to defy baking rules too and were proven very good. Hmm.

Our food should be precise and bold according to our liking and should be respected. Don't mind them if you'd like to put pork in your Adobong Pusit or put eggplant in your Sinigang. It’s your canvass, it’s your stage, it’s your music, it’s your dance… it’s your drama. No apologies needed.

The most important is: You are happy and satisfied.



Western food is extraordinary and I am currently interested, if not obsessed, to appreciate and make them. My utmost favorite is the introduction of batard bread courtesy of the artisan baker who moved here in El Nido (thank you!). It taste really good and looks beautiful in photos too.
Presenting my breakfast today: Truffle Mushroom Scrambled Egg. Paired with Nescafe Gold and artisan Sourdough Batard bread with mozzarella and tomatoes, toasted and topped with Arugula I bought from Art Café. I also made TikTok video and Youtube vlog in case you want to try them. Happy eating!




Ingredients

100g shiitake mushroom, sliced (I used dried shiitake soak overnight)
15g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium eggs, whisked
1 tbsp. Truffle Oil (I used Urbani Truffles: White Truffle Flavored Olive Oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

For Bread:
2 slices of Sourdough Batard Bread
Mozzarella Cheese
1 medium tomato, sliced
Arugula Leaves


Directions

1) Melt butter in a small pan and saute the garlic.

2) Add sliced mushroom over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic. Add salt and pepper to taste

3) Add the eggs and stir continuously until softly cooked. 

4) Drizzle with truffle oil and plate.

For the bread: Put mozzarella cheese on top of sliced bread, top with sliced tomatoes and toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Top with arugula leaves and serve.



Garlicky Squid in Olive Oil



In surviving this Covid-19 crisis, we have to draw a clear line between wants and needs, set a budget, and adjust spending as millions of households are wondering how they will cope with a big drop in income because of measures prompted by the Corona virus pandemic.

A spare from last week's budget after all my household spending, I was able to afford "Pusit" or squid from a tour-guide neighbour turned fishermen who was also offering home deliveries. Wholesale buyers and tourists are gone and demand affectedly plummeted, squid price dropped from Php 350 a kilo (pre-lockdown) to Php 180.

With just few ingredients and my freestyle, unapologetic cooking skills, this is by far, my ultimate quarantine dish: Squid in Olive Oil and Garlic.



Ingredients
750g fresh squid, skinned, cleaned and sliced into rings
2 heads garlic, 1 head slightly crushed, 1 head cut
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 pcs. bay leaf
1 tsp black ground pepper
1 tbsp peppercorn
chili flakes (optional)




Directions

Sprinkle whole garlic with olive oil and salt and roast in the oven until brown and aromatic.

Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan until olive oil is fragrant and garlic is brown on the edges.

Set heat to medium and add sliced squid and pour in fish sauce. 

Add bay leaf, pepper and peppercorn. 

Stir-Fry for about 15 to 20 minutes until squid is tender. Make sure you don't over-cook it.

Add lemon juice and give it a quick stir before turning off heat.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with roasted garlic.

Serve with steamed rice





Quarantine Recipe: Easy Burger Steak in Buttery Mushroom Gravy



Hello everyone, happy Easter Sunday! 

May the day of resurrection give us all hope, love, and peace from any worries, hatred, and uncertainties as we are facing the big crisis of coronavirus pandemic that has forced us to alter our routines and we are all stuck in quarantine.

How do you cope up? I’m sure there are so many ways, from watching Money Heist TV series and accepting TikTok challenges to reading books, cooking, and actively engaging in any online activities. Whatever it is that you are involved-in, while on self-isolation, I wish you are happy and respectful to everyone’s choice of keeping their sanity. For Catholics, I hope you were able to take time to reflect and observe the holy week while maintaining social distance to everyone else.

As for myself, to take the edge off during this very difficult time for a calmer and efficient me, I've decided to make my time to be more productive by reviving this blog and taking advantage of time to learn Photoshop online and stay away from reading provocative comments on my social media platforms while trying to control any urge to be involved in any arguments by which I have tremendously failed days ago, lol!



So, here’s the first batch of images taken earlier today using my old, phased-out DSLR camera and edited from Adobe Photoshop CS6. I’m trying to fine-tune the best quality of pictures for my blog and I’m just learning the basics so forgive the over exposures and inappropriate watermark placements. It will be improved along the way, promise!

This dish is one of my favorites made easy, lifted and altered a bit from my favorite food blog, The Peach Kitchen.




Ingredients
4 pieces of prepared beef burgers I bought from Tuko Restaurant before the lockdown
¼ stick of butter for frying

Mushroom Sauce
¼ stick of butter
3 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 knorr chicken cube
2 tbsp flour
2-3 cups of water
½ cup sliced button mushrooms,(I used canned mushroom)
Salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
Steamed Rice

Directions
Heat butter in a non-stick skillet until dissolved and fry thawed burger patties until cooked. Place in a plate and set aside.
Using the same pan, put more butter in low heat. Add garlic and onions until onions becomes translucent. Then add the chicken cubes and dissolve.
Add the mushroom. Simmer for 4 minutes.
Add the flour, mix well until it forms a roux.
Pour in water and whisk until free of lumps.  Add more water if sauce is too thick.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put the patties back in the pan with the sauce. Cook it a little bit with the sauce for tastier burger patties.
Serve on top of steamed rice or mashed potato.