Step Up Your Cooking With PorkSavor All In One Seasoning Mix

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation puts together a media activity to  showcase the brand PORKSAVOR® All-in-One Seasoning Mix with its new brand ambassadors Mr. Enrique Gil and his mother Mrs. Bambi Gil.

NOTE :  I uploaded three (3) Videos from the event, you may go here to watch  them.

True to the activity entitled “Step Up Your Cooking with PORKSAVOR®”, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen and the brand ambassadors conducted live cooking demonstrations in a bid to challenge homemakers to step up their cooking and bring out the meaty goodness of home-cooked dishes using PORKSAVOR®. The show kitchen of the Center for Culinary Arts was filled with the delicious meaty aroma of dishes cooked for the audience. 

According to Ms. Daryl Magno, Ajinomoto’s Category Manager – Flavor Seasonings, “Filipinos love food with strong meaty flavors and PORKSAVOR® can provide meaty taste and aroma for all types of dishes because it is made from natural pork meat and bone extract, complete with spices and seasonings.” 

PORKSAVOR® can provide the meaty taste in dishes even without meat. Using PORKSAVOR®, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen cooked meatless pancit, which makes a great high fiber snack for those limiting their cholesterol intake. Mrs. Bambi Gil, who knows her way around the kitchen, also helped prepare the PORKSAVOR® Veggie Soup and Pastel dishes. Both recipes are a step up from the usual ‘pambaon’ ideas and are likewise perfect for the rainy season.

The mother and son tandem of Bambi and Enrique Gil are thrilled to endorse a one-of-a-kind product like PORKSAVOR®. While taping for the commercial, Enrique was fascinated with the burst of meatiness as he sampled food cooked with PORKSAVOR®. Mommy Bambi loves to cook for her 3 children, and PORKSAVOR® can help her put in the effort to make meal times truly enjoyable for the whole family.

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     Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) is an affiliate of Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Co., 

     Inc. Established 1958, APC lives by its promise to provide consumers products that will   

     always give the  delicious taste to healthy and nutritious meals as embodied in APC’s 

     slogan Ajinomoto® “Eat Well, Live Well.®” APC’s complete line of quality food and         

     seasoning products are produced by international affiliates and local toll manufacturers 

     using Ajinomoto’s license, quality standards and technological expertise. APC’s products    

     include AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, Ajinomoto® Brand Ginisa Flavor Seasoning 

     Mix, AJI-SINIGANG® Cube, Ajinomoto® Brand Chicken Powder, PORKSAVOR® 

     All-in-One Seasoning Mix, CRISPY FRY® Breading Mix, CRISPY FRY® SEASONED   

     CRUMBS®, TASTY BOY® All Purpose Breading Mix, AJI-SHIO® Seasoning Mix 

     and “amino Fres-C” Instant Drink Mix.

AjiPanda™: Your Best Friend in the Kitchen

AjiPanda™ is a cute panda icon that conveys someone shy, caring, happy and loyal. It personifies how a humble pack or bottle of AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning fills the role of “Your Best Friend in the Kitchen” by offering an ever-reliable way of bringing out the natural goodness of food.

Ajinomoto’s new campaign, which also features teen queen Kathryn Bernardo, presents the benefits of its dependable brand of seasoning to a new generation of cooks and food lovers.

Remember that AjiPanda™, your best friend in the kitchen, will help work wonders in your cooking so that you can share many happy meals with your family. Visit http://www.ajinomoto.com.ph/AjiPanda for healthy and delicious recipes.

#AjiPanda #Umami #Ajinomoto #YourBestFriendintheKitchen

Kuya J Restaurant (SM Marikina)

During one of our visits to SM Marikina Branch, we noticed a new hole in the wall resto - Kuya J Restaurant.

Kuya J offers Filipino cuisine such as Pocherong Tagalog, Bulalo, Kare-Kareng Bagnet, Crispy Pata and Beef Caldereta, etc.  We got curious, aside from the reason that we’re really hungry, we’re at the right place at the right time J

The place is cozy,  not that big, but the dining set-up is comfortable and it seems like a homey atmosphere, not to mention the nice and welcoming staff.

The walls are amazingly covered with wooden boxes as bookshelves filled with books with various topics.

Had a hard time deciding which to order as they all look delicious, we ordered the following---

Calamares with Garlic Mayo Dip  (P180.00)

They served it freshly fried, crispy and soft to the bite

Pinakbet (P170.00) 

We wanted some veggies and craved for some Pinakbet

Plain Rice (P120.00/platter) good for 3-4 persons

Pork Sisig (P190.00)

Delicious according to my daughter who is not really a Pork lover, she said there are crunchy bits of pork skin without being too oily and the  spicyness is just right.

One of Kuya J’s signature  dishes is the Crispy Pata according to the Waiter. The skin is so crunchy and delicious served with their semi-sweet vinegar concoction.  The waiter even helped serve and cut up the Pata into serving sizes in our table.  They have 2 sizes, the Regular which is Ph485.00, and their Family size is Ph650.00.  We ordered the regular size.

We were not feeling too adventurous that day, so we ordered the usual, and I must say that they really have a good menu for home cooked Filipino food.  Overall we loved everything that we ordered.     And their servings were huge enough to be shared by 4-5 people.

We were so full, in fact we did have some left overs and took them home,  didn’t have the chance to try some of their desserts, maybe next time!

vLeah

SARABASAB

Insarabasab or Sarabasab is an authentic Filipino pork recipe that originated from the Province of Ilocos.  Insarabasab is an Ilocano term which  means  - meat roasted directly in an open fire.  The dish is a mixture of grilled pork sliced thinly, onion, tomato, vinegar, chillies and some spices. 

This is my  take on  Sarabasab, made some adjustments to it to suit our taste and made it healthier by adding more veggies and turned it into a side salad.  ‘Hope you enjoy my version J.   It  can be served  to pair with grilled bangus, tilapia or fried galunggong or hasa-hasa.

Ingredients:

½ kilo Pork Belly or Liempo, grilled & sliced into thin strips

4 pcs. Medium Tomatoes

1 whole Onion, thinly sliced

2 pcs Cucumber, peeled and sliced

Dressing:

¼ cup white vinegar or any kind of vinegar you prefer

2 tbsps water

2-4 tbsps white sugar (more or less)

Slices of Red Chillies (Optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure :

In a big bowl put the sliced grilled pork,  cucumber, onion and tomato, then set it aside.  And in a separate smaller bowl mix the dressing ingredients, season to taste.  (Note :  I prefer the dressing on the sweeter side), once the dressing is ready pour  it into the mixture of pork and veggies.  Let it stand for a few minutes so that the veggies will absorb the dressing.  Serve and Enjoy!

SOPAS (Filipino Chicken Noodle Soup ) Video Version

SOPAS (FILIPINO CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP)

Sopas is considered a comfort food for Filipinos, we grew up eating this almost every two weeks.  It can be served as a snack but it can also be a complete meal by itself.  We can always enjoy a warm bowl of milky Sopas on a rainy day or any day of the week.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do in the family.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. Vegetable cooking oil

6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 pcs. Med onion, chopped or sliced

1 whole chicken breast, boiled and shredded

3-5 tbsps patis

1-2 cups hotdog, sliced (or sausage)

1 ½ cups carrots, sliced

2 cups petchay baguio, sliced

2 cups, pasta noodles (elbow macaroni  or any pasta you prefer)

4-6 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp seasoning granules or broth cube (optional)

1-2 cups evaporated milk

Salt & pepper – as needed

Cooking Procedure :

1.     In a large cooking pot, saute garlic  until slightly browned, then add the onion, sauté it for a while until translucent, then put the shredded chicken, stir well, then add the fish sauce,  cover the pot  and simmer for a few minutes.   Then add the hotdog, let it cook for a while. 

2.     Then add the chicken broth, bring to a boil then put  the carrots, petchay baguio and pasta, stir gently and cover the pot.   Simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, then add the milk and seasoning granules (if needed).  Cook it for another 3minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.   Serve into individual bowls.  Enjoy!

Pata Kare-Kare Ala Barrio Fiesta - Easy Version

For the COMPLETE RECIPE OF KARE-KARE

you may go to this POST

PATA KARE-KARE ala Barrio Fiesta - Easy Version (Pork Leg Stew in Savory Peanut Sauce)

This recipe uses Pork leg and some vegetables cooked in rich peanut sauce. Once your pork is ready and tender and the veggies steamed, it should be easy to complete the dish. You can also use Oxtail (buntot ng baka) or Ox Tripe (Goto) both are  pricey compared to pork leg, and it would take hours before they become tender.

Watch the Video

There are other versions of this dish, there’s Seafood Kare-Kare, Chicken Kare-Kare and Vegetarian Kare-Kare. I like my Kare-Kare to be on the sweet side, that’s why I add a little bit more of the peanut butter, local brands are a lot sweeter :)

Besides the peanut, this dish depends on the sautéed shrimp paste served on the side, this dish will not be complete without it.

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork leg, cut into 1 inch thick
5 cups water (or more if needed)
2 tbsps cooking oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
3 tbsps fish sauce
1 small banana flower bud (puso ng saging) sliced, steamed or boiled
1 bundle pechay (steamed or boiled)
1 small bundle Sitaw (steamed or boiled)
2 pcs eggplants (sliced, steamed or boiled)
½ cup to ¾ cup peanut butter (mixed with ½ c of hot broth to soften)
1 pouch Mama Sita’s Kare Kare Peanut Sauce Mix 58 gms (dissolved in ½ cup water)
½ cup Sauteed shrimp paste

Cooking Procedure: 

In a large cooking pot put the pork leg together with water, bring to a boil, then let it simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the pork is tender, remove the pork from the broth and set aside both pork and broth. 

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, sauté garlic until light brown, then put onion, sauté the onions until translucent . Then add the boiled pork, stir occasionally, then add fish sauce. Let simmer for a few minutes. 

Then add the pork broth, bring to a boil then add the Kare-Kare mix dilluted in water. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until it’s thickened, stir it occasionally to avoid burning the stew. Then add the peanut butter which was thinned in hot broth, continue stirring gently, season to taste with salt (don't add too much salt, as you will still add sauteed shrimp paste as you eat the dish), or more sugar if needed.

After a few minutes add the steamed/boiled vegetables, and cook it for another 3-5 minutes and its ready. Serve hot with sautéed shrimp paste on the side. Enjoy! 

Cooking Tips:

• The amount of peanut butter you will use, will depend on how sweet and peanutty you want your stew                                                                                                                            
• You may boil the vegetables in the pork broth, for just a few minutes, then take them out of the broth and set it aside for later

MAMA SITA KARE-KARE PEANUT SAUCE  MIX

Net Wt. : 58 gms

An all-natural combination of toasted rice and annatto gives you the authentic taste of traditional Kare-kare (a rich peanut-based stew). 

This mixture has the following ingredients : peanuts, toasted rice, sugar, salt and annatto powder or achuete powder ( which gives Kare-Kare that orangy color)

GINISANG BAGOONG

(SAUTEED SHRIMP PASTE WITH PORK)

For the cooking video of Ginisang Bagoong, please click HERE

BARRIO FIESTA SAUTEED SHRIMP PASTE
You may use ready to serve Shrimp Paste in bottle.   A small bottle goes  a long way, they are very tasty and sometines we still cook this, sauteed in garlic, onion and tomatoes to lessen the saltiness of the shrimp paste.