Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Squash Pie and Banana Bread

I fairly know a lot of people in the office because my job is to train new employees about our client's policies and procedures, and the expected behavior of these employees after training. One of the sweetest people in the office, Michelle Quirante, my former new hire trainee, recently gave me a couple of sweets to try.

The first one is Squash Pie, which is called Pumpkin Pie by some although it's definitely not pumpkin pie. The former is more orange in color (see picture below), while a pumpkin pie made with pumpkin puree is more brownish in color. Anyway, so I brought the pie at home and shared it with my family and it was a huge hit! It was hard to believe that the pie we were eating was a vegetable. It tasted sweet and creamy -- actually, it tasted more like the sweet toppings of cassava cake. Michelle told me that an order of one pie costs P90. If you want to try this unique treat, send her a message.

The next sweet treat is her banana bread. It was crumbly and crisp on the outside, while moist and chewy on the inside - just perfect. It wasn't too sweet and it balances perfectly well with a glass of cold milk. An order of one banana loaf bread costs P50. 

The prices are unbelievably low. Give it a try and let me know what you think! :)



squash pie - YUM!


Banana bread
You can order through Michelle/Miqui's Facebook page.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Theo and Philo

Over the weekend, I stopped by Human Heart Nature to get sunflower oil and mosquito repellent for my family and was pleasantly surprised to find Theo and Philo artisan chocolates in the counter, so we got a couple of bars. My li'l sister picked the 70% dark chocolate variety, and I got their 65% dark chocolate with green mango and sea salt. 

Theo and Philo is the only bean to bar chocolate from the Philippines and they have six varieties in their chocolate products, ranging from the usual (milk chocolate) to the unusual (dark chocolate with candied calamansi). 

My li'l sister's 70% dark chocolate was insanely good - it tasted fine and smooth that it can rival any European chocolate brand. It was clear that the chocolates were made with the finest cacao beans in the country; and if their 70% was good, then their green mango variant was even better. I loved how the tangy taste of green mango blended well with the bittersweet chocolate and salt. Eating it was like having an explosion of different flavors bursting all at once in your tastebuds. Try it, and you really won't regret it.




dark-chocolate-with-green-mango-and-sea-salt-at-theo-and-philo
Dark Chocolate with Green Mango and Sea Salt - YUM!



theo-and-philo-dark-chocolates
Theo and Philo Artisan Chocolates
 
*Human Heart Nature information:
located in - Unit 3, The Strip, Osmena Blvd.
contact number - 032 412-9696
Facebook page: Click HERE

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Skydreamer Eats: Homemade Tomato Soup

One of the things I love about blogging is reading other people's blogs and learning a lot of new things. One of the blogs that I used to read a lot, is Erica Paredes' blog, Gourmet Kitschen. She's Jim Paredes' (APO Hiking Society) daughter and she's mean and adventurous when it comes to food, and I'm just really sad that she has stopped blogging.

One of things that got my attention was her tomato soup recipe. It's so easy and affordable yet so hearty and filling!

So here's my take on her tomato soup recipe with a little tweak:

You will need the following:
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp Dried Thyme (I'm using McCormick)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning (Marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 slice of bread
100 ML All Purpose Cream
a handful of basil
shredded parmesan
salt and pepper

First, you would want to saute your garlic cloves, thyme and Italian seasoning in 1tbsp of olive oil.

Once fragrant, add your can of stewed tomatoes and let it simmer. Then, add 1 slice of bread ripped in small pieces to thicken the soup. Add 100 ML all purpose cream and parmesan cheese. Let it simmer again, then add basil.

You may want to add salt and/or pepper to taste.

I guarantee you that it tastes really really amazing! Try it and let me know what you think! :)


easy-tomato-soup-recipe
Tomato soup with shredded parmesan cheese


Friday, March 8, 2013

Skydreamer Eats: Homemade Pesto Pizza

I've always loved pesto - ever since I tasted pesto pasta, pesto porkchop, pesto spread OR anything I ate that had pesto on it. I started to incorporate it into some of the meals I cooked at home, but I was using store-bought pesto - I was fine with it, until...

Last year, as I was reading Rosie's blog (the famous blogger of The Londoner), I read a post about making your own pesto, and that it punches in more flavor than any store-bought variety. I was intrigued, but couldn't find pine nuts anywhere here. 

Just this week, I tried looking for pine nuts again, and we had them in Ayala but they were expensive - one big pack costs P1340 which is about $35. There were no small packs so I didn't buy it.  I read somewhere that you could substitute almonds or walnuts so I bought almonds instead. One small pack only costs P40 or $1. Now that I had all the ingredients, I made my pesto.

Here's my basil pesto recipe (patterned from Rosie's blog) but I tweaked some of the measurements too:

You will need:
A handful of basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan
30 grams salted almonds
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove of garlic

First, you would want to toast your almonds. Slice them unevenly, and place in a nonstick pan without oil. Slowly toast them in slow fire. Once the almonds are glistening with its own oil, you can stop.

In a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients. Blend until you get the consistency that you want. 

You can add more olive oil or parmesan to suit your taste.




easy-pesto-basil-recipe
My homemade pesto - first attempt


Now, for my homemade pesto pizza:

You will need:
Tortilla wrap or Pita Bread
Pizza Sauce (I used Del Monte Sweet Blend)
Mozzarella cheese
Homemade pesto

Bake in the microwave for 1 minute. Enjoy!



easy-pesto-pizza-recipe
Homemade Pesto Pizza

I would've really wanted to make my own pizza dough and tomato base but I don't have resources for that. Right now, this is what I made and I can definitely vouch that homemade pesto - added into my very own pizza is really really great! My 1 year old toddler loves this pizza and would even eat this over chocolate cookies. 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Skydreamer Eats: Fettuccine Pesto

Yesterday, I made a bowl of fettuccine pesto, and it tasted so amazingly good! What's best about it is that it only takes 15 minutes to make, and it's super affordable.

You will need:
a handful of fettuccine pasta
2-3 tbsp Sun-dried tomato pesto
1 pc fresh tomato (cut into small cubes)
8-10 small slices of pasteurized mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Instructions:
1. Cook your pasta according to package instructions.
2. Mix your pesto and tomato.
3. Once your pasta's cooked, drain then add to the pesto mixture.
4. Add your cheese.
5. Stir.
6. Enjoy. Yum!

easy-fettuccine-pesto-recipe
Healthy and delicious!


It's been a long time

Hi Everyone,

I'm not sure if anyone's still following me, but I just wanted to give an update seeing as I have a little bit of free time.

xoxo,
Skydreamer's Wish