Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Image from: renoami.com

A perfect Christmas Eve dinner must have the following ingredients:

• family members wearing the best smiles;
• food that entices the senses;
• gifts for giving and receiving; and
• hearts filled with thanksgiving

Every year I am blessed with the perfect Christmas. This time around, my mom prepared this delectable Meaty Creamy Lasagna Supreme. The name says it all: creamy bechamel cheese sauce and meaty red sauce layered between al dente pasta and topped with mozzarella cheese and crispy bacon bits.

The ham completes every Filipino Christmas dining spread. Ham generally refers to the cured or cooked cut of meat from the thigh of the hind legs of a pig.

Filipinos have many beliefs and traditions when celebrating the holidays. One of which is the presence of round fruits on the dining table because it is believed to bring prosperity to the household.

For dessert, we had Silvanas from our all-time favorite Brownies Unlimited

On Christmas Day, we had a reunion with my dad's side of the family. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas just like I did. Happy Holidays from our family to yours! 

Feel free to share your Christmas stories! 

Cheers to Another Year

Our mini herb garden

Picking basil leaves for my birthday bash

Freshly harvested organic basil leaves

Shrimps for the seafood pasta

Marinara sauce for the seafood pasta

Breaded chicken breast fillets for the Chicken Parmigiana

Fried until golden brown

Flat noodles for the seafood pasta

Regular spaghetti noodles for the pesto pasta

The perfect Parmesan cheese for the Pesto Pasta and Chicken Parmigiana

The stars of the evening

Chicken Parmigiana topped with tomato sauce and melted Mozzarella cheese

The most requested Pesto Pasta

Sliced French Bread

Seafood Pasta

Curtain Call

Happy Birthday to me!

My relatives seemed to be clicking the “Like” button.

A month ago, I celebrated my birthday. For the nth time, we did what we do best, pasta and chicken. So, of course, pesto pasta took centerstage. Joining the limelight were Seafood Pasta (with lots of shrimps in it) and Chicken Parmigiana. The cast would not have been complete without the slices of French  Bread and herbed and spiced olive oil with balsamic vinegar. The Chicken Parmigiana which was also taught to us by our ever- generous and patient friend , Chef Bryan Jimenez , was made of chicken breast fillet, bread crumbs , especially concocted tomato sauce, Dijon mustard and mozzarella cheese. Modesty aside, it was a big hit among our guests, especially to my nephew Egan Sanchez, who kept on telling me, “That chicken is sooooo good!”  Indeed, it was an evening of good food, good company, good laughs, good memories. 

Pesto all the way

Birthday dinner with my grade school friends

Our homemade pesto pasta with Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and parsley

Sliced French bread and some Nachos with ground beef, mushrooms, and drizzled with cheese

Dipping sauce for the French bread- Olive oil seasoned with “Scarborough Fair” herbs and spices and Balsamic Vinegar

Dipping sauce for the French bread- Olive oil seasoned with “Scarborough Fair” herbs and spices and Balsamic Vinegar

A feast for my birthday

     A year ago, I said goodbye to my teenage years and welcomed my adulthood with a get-together with my closest chums from grade school (Maquiling School Inc., UP Los Banos campus).  We had an intimate dinner at our garden. I requested my lovely sister to prepare our family’s favorite and her specialty – PESTO PASTA. Thanks to our good friend, Chef  Bryan for teaching her how to cook this.  Now, she makes the perfect homemade pesto that never ceases to delight us. I take this chance to share my sister's amazing Pesto Pasta made of fresh basil leaves (from our garden), nuts, Parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. My mom paired the dish with sliced French bread and a dipping sauce of seasoned olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Along with the nonstop exchanges of childhood memories, love stories and future plans was the nonstop munching on nachos with ground beef, mushrooms, and cheese spread.

       Maybe I should do this every 10 years, or perhaps 5. Lemme think…

Pizza and pasta night

Regular spaghetti noodles. Some of my health-conscious friends prefer whole-wheat pasta. Though whole-wheat pasta tastes a little different from the conventional pasta made with refined and processed flour, it contains more dietary fiber and other nutrients, thus, a healthier alternative.

Fresh basil leaves. We get our supply from our very own small herb garden. Basil is a bestseller culinary herb in our home, especially since my sister’s most acclaimed dish is pesto pasta. Our relatives and friends swear by my sister’s expertise on this dish. Promise, I will feature her pesto pasta in my future blogs. Basil contains many chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing properties. Also, it is a good source of Iron.

      Of course, the tomato sauce. Tomato not only satisfies our taste buds but also helps fight diseases because of its Lycopene content, a vital anti-oxidant.

The final product. Yummmm!

What's a pasta without a pizza? This simple pizza has grated cheese, hotdogs, ham, onion, tomato sauce. 

    

        
         I am so thrilled because this is my first blog. I can't wait to share with you all my food adventures. So last night, my sister and I decided to prepare a pizza and a pasta for dinner. She did the pasta, which was Spaghetti with tomato sauce, lean ground beef and fresh basil, while I made the pizza. She always cooks spaghetti, Italian style (not sweet). The rich sauce was made more special with the sweet aroma of chopped fresh basil leaves Please take note: Make sure to add the basil leaves towards the end of your cooking so that the volatile oils will not be dissipated by heat. For the pizza, I used tomato sauce, onions, hotdogs, ham, and grated cheese. A very simple and easy-to-do meal for your loved ones.