Stir Fry Chicken and Asparagus

Lately I've been trying a few recipes from the inter-net. One of our new faves is this chicken recipe I copied from the Food Network with a few modifications.

STIR FRY CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

2 pcs medium size chicken breasts, cut into bite size

1 bundle fresh asparagus (cut into 1 inch length)

1 cup sliced white mushrooms (Optional. We tried this once and it added more flavor. I highly suggest adding this!)

2 tbsp minced spring onions/shallots

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves minced garlic or garlic powder

1 tbsp minced ginger or ginger powder

1 tsp sugar (Optional. If you like additional taste.)

1/2 cup sherry

2 tbsp soy sauce

salt for seasoning (You can also omit this if you are in a low sodium diet.)

1/2 cup water or chicken broth (If you wish to make it saucier/tastier.)

corn starch (The original recipe calls for this if you want to coat the chicken or prefer the sauce to be thicker. I omitted this and the recipe still turned out nicely.)

black pepper

Procedure:

1. Mix ginger (if powdered), garlic (if powdered), sugar, sherry, soy sauce, salt and marinate the chicken in the mixture for 20-30 mins. Set aside.

2. Heat pan and put 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry asparagus, then mix mushrooms and spring onions. Remove from pan after 2-3 mins (don't overcook).

3. Use the same pan and add the remaining oil. Sautee ginger and garlic if you prefer the minced/real ones. Stir fry marinated chicken until it's cooked/golden brown.

4. Add water or chicken broth if you prefer for more sauce, simmer. Then add cooked veggies.

5. Season with black pepper. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Serves 2.

Life is Bananas by Lj T. Salceda

As if the cool breeze was telling me, "Look, take a closer look behind you."

At the back of our dorm a few feet from where I was tackling two weeks worth of laundry, stood a group of *banana plants. Rows and rows of tiered (buwig) young banana fruit protruding from one the main trunks as they gently dance with the summer wind. Although it is a pleasant sight, it is nothing new much more extra ordinary to me.

“Can you see it?” as if the Wind is asking me.

“They look like the same bananas I’ve seen the past seven years that I’ve lived here.” I silently answered.

“Look again,” commanded the cool breeze.

Feeling a bit irritated I hesitantly gave in and replied, “Ok, am I missing something here? They’re the same bana.. nas…”

My thoughts trailed back to my childhood in the province. We’ve always had bananas in our yard when we were younger and it amazed me then how they never last longer than the rest of the trees in my grandmother’s yard. There’s the towering mango tree at the corner of our lot or my favorite place to hang out- the caimito tree still alive to this day or the aratiles tree a favorite of caterpillars (higad)!

I remember some of my grandparents’ lessons in the life of bananas: they sprout from nowhere, grow really fast and die young (2–3yrs max) after they bear fruit just once in their short life span. Amazingly though, offshoots spring from their base after their death. Pretty much like the coconut trees, they offer unending use from their leaves to their trunk to their fruit up to their flower (heart).

Hmmmm… Now, I think I know what the Wind was trying to tell me. They weren't exactly the same bananas I saw when I first transferred to our dorm. However, isn’t life pretty much like banana plants or their flowers or the early summer wind – here today and gone tomorrow or a few years the most?

I guess the more important questions to ask are: are we producing any good fruit or positive deeds before our expiration date? And are we growing or mentoring any offshoots (students, sons or daughters, disciples) as our legacy for when we're done and gone?

My Ma always say in her sermons, what is true in the natural is also true in the spiritual. Meaning, what works in our physical, temporal world or in our day-to-day living can be applied in our faith or relationship with the Lord.

Whenever you eat banana que or turon (jumping jack we call them in Bicol) or order a halo-halo with bananas except for the nutrients and other benefits they provide, may this amazing fruit remind you: how short but productive (or enjoyable or important or crazy) life is. So, do your part – bear fruit and be a mentor to someone while you can. Learn from the BANANA!

Interesting banana facts:

* Bananas are not trees, they are from the herb family.

* Bananas are excellent source of vitamins and minerals especially protein, raw sugar, vitamin B and fiber.

* Bananas are naturally and slightly radioactive.

* The Philippines is the second banana producer/exporter in the world.

Scrambled Egg with Veggies and Meat

SCRAMBLED EGG with VEGGIES and MEAT



When I was in the US, one of our staple breakfast food was egg. I've tried almost every available type of recipe/cooking method on the menu when I was there - sunny side up, omelette, scrambled, boiled on salads (except for poached).

One of the recipes that I really like was the scrambled eggs we had at this resto near Disneyland. I said to myself I can easily make this one!

Here is my humble attempt of copying their scrambled egg recipe:

Scrambled/Omelet Egg with Veggies and Luncheon meat

Ingredients:

5 pcs eggs
cooking oil (olive/regular)
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves garlic
spinach or green bell peppers
red tomatoes
¼ (can) cubed ham or luncheon meat or sausage (mushroom as alternative)
salt and pepper
quick-melt cheese or feta cheese (optional)


Procedure:

1. Wash veggies.
2. Chop/mince garlic and onions. Cube bell peppers and tomatoes. Remove spinach’s stem. (You can blanch or boil spinach first before adding.)
3. Add seasoning (salt and pepper)to the eggs before beating.
4. Heat the pan, put oil and fry luncheon meat. Set aside.
5. Using the same pan and oil, sauté onions, garlic and add tomatoes.
6. Add the luncheon meat and the veggies bell peppers/spinach.
7. Add egg (scramble).
8. For omelet: Remove the veggies/meat. Make an egg crepe first before putting the filling.
9. Add quick-melt cheese while still hot before serving.

Tip: Serve with rice, bread or potatoes.

Serves 4-5 people
Cost: P150-200

MY NEW FAVORITE COMFORT FOODS!!! (sensya na sa mga health buff)

Here are some of the foods that make me smile and drool a lot lately:



Rowena's Buko Pie from Tagaytay
A listener brought us a box of these yummy treats and we can't help but ask him to buy us some more. Siyempre kami na nagbayad! It's cheap (P150 yata per box of 6 pcs), not too sweet and 'di nakakahiyang ipampasalubong or as a gift.



Tempura's Caterpillar Maki
Dumayo pa kami sa Pampanga para maka-kain n'yan! Thanks to Dr. Mavic for treating us to lunch. I did not regret ordering it. Actually, umorder pa kami ng isa. Super sarap talaga, hindi nakaka-umay. Nag-compliment yung cream and sweetness ng mangoe and our own concoction of sawsawan.



Starbucks' Caramel Dark Roasted Coffee Jelly Frap
I'm not much of frap person since my throat is sensitive to cold drinks. But it was such a hot day and I was so drained from a hosting gig. While I was waiting for my date, I dropped by my fave cofeee house and ordered their new product. I was initially hesitant, but I'm glad I got it cuz I super liked it! And to think that I'm not a fan of jellies. It wasn't too sweet or overpowering. Kaso the last time I went to SB, wala na raw sa list nila yun. How sad! :(