Lazy Lunch and a New Diet

On days when Richard's at work, Aly's in school and I'm home alone, I like to have my fuss-free one-bowl meals.

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My version of a lazy lunch.

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It's easy to eat while watching tv this way.  Plus, using a bowl helps me limit my food somehow.  But that was last week.  This week, I started a new diet and I'm not allowed to eat any carbs for two weeks.  It's not easy.  I miss my bread, pastries, sweets...but, the reason I went on this diet is so I can curb those cravings.  It's tough, but I'm on day 4 and I'm still ok so it's all good.  Plus, I lost 2 kilos (4lbs.) already and that's what keeps me motivated.  Wish me luck!

Aly's Store

In a small corner in our kitchen, we have what we call Aly's store.  This is where we keep all our snacks and goodies.  Heehee!

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Aly's store.  Heehee!  The top layer is where we put our bread, sandwich spreads, opened bags of chips (which I keep closed using binder clips from the office supplies section), Lock n' lock containers with biscuits and nuts, coffee maker and sandwich toaster.  

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And yes, we have two kinds of bread at home: white bread with no crusts for Aly and wheat bread for me and Richard.  Bigla kasing nagbago ang taste ni Aly.  It's like she woke up one day and decided that she doesn't like the crusts on her bread anymore.  If she slices the crusts off herself, wala ng natitira sa tinapay.  Thank goodness for those crustless ones!  We also have two kinds of peanut butter: Goober Grape for me and Aly; plain for Richard.  Hay!  This small family of three is quite demanding ha!  Mommy has to cope with all those requests!

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The middle layer has cereal, chips, candy (in plastic containers), soda water for Richard's drinks and some of my baking supplies at the back. 

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Shhh!  Don't tell my mom that I have a stash of chips at home.  Heehee!  But I have a good reason for that.  We stock up on Lay's sour cream n' onion chips because they are not always available in our suking 7-11 or at Top's Supermarket.  We don't like naman the other flavors like seaweed, squid...para syang ginto so we kinda hoard when we see it.

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The bottom layer has plastic bins for my baking stuff like pans, food color cupcake liner, cookie cutter...This is also where I keep my paper towels.  I also have another plastic bin with more chips and chocolates.

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Richard brought home our favorite Chippy for pasalubong.  Notice that we have two kinds of Chippy as well: red for Aly, blue for me.  Demanding talaga!

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Speaking of snacks, I want to share with you the one that I am currently addicted to:

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Manora fried shrimp chips.  

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This is a local brand.  It's kinda like kropek but with a spicy kick (as expected with Thai food).  I learned about this through my friend Rose.  She served these when we were at her house and I can't stop thinking about them since then!  She bought me a few bags when we were at the lunch market and it has been a grocery staple from then on.  I prefer the smaller bags, though because once I open them, I can't stop eating!  Haha!

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There you have it: our three-tiered happy corner at home.  Thanks for stopping by!

Central World is Back!

Still not a 100% though, because only part of the mall is open to the public (the farthest end opposite from Zen).  We were also sad to find out that Pepper Lunch isn't open yet so we're still looking forward to that.  However, with Kinokuniya and Zara open, it's worth the trip.

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On our way to CW!

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We had our Sunday lunch there and went on a food trip of sorts at the Central Food Hall.  Another sad discovery, our favorite burger place, Triple O's, isn't there anymore.  Buti na lang I brought my siblings there when they visited in 2009.  Sayang nga lang we didn't take a lot of photos!  Anyhoo, so many new stuff in Central World -- at the Food Hall at least.  They now have Sunrise Tacos.

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I had grilled chicken soft taco.

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Cheese quesadilla for Aly.

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Harang!  A bit expensive at Thb215 for a cheese quesadilla, but Aly was happy so ok na rin.

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Another new place, Fries Me To The Moon.  I got cheese sticks with beef pomodoro sauce.  Harang ulit at Thb109 for 3 sticks.  The sauce wasn't too good either.  Oh well...

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They also have Pandora.  Yay!  Trying to fight the urge to buy something from them.  The cupcakes are so nakakagigil! 

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Richard's sandwich.  He was supposed to order pasta, but it took them too long so he cancelled it and got this instead. 

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Ok, so the Central Food Hall experience was a bit disappointing, but we figured they're probably still on dry-run so sige na nga.

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Ooh!  Crepes and Co. is here too!

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Vanilla caramel crepe.  

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We are no longer disappointed.  Heehee!

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Shopping at the Gap.  Happy na talaga kami.  Haha!

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Glad that our favorite mall is back!

Soi Polo Fried Chicken

After running a couple of errands with the hubby last week, we had lunch at Soi Polo, which is said to have the best fried chicken in Bangkok.  So popular, that it even made it to the New York Times!  The place has zero ambiance, but the food is great and super cheap.  For lunch, we had:

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THE Soi Polo Fried Chicken.  Juicy, meaty chicken with a crispy skin topped with lots of fried local garlic.

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Thais don't eat their chicken with ketchup.  They use sweet chili sauce instead.  Soi Polo also has a spicy tamarind sauce, but I prefer this.

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Sticky rice.  Winner combo with the fried chicken!

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Som Tum Poo Maa -- spicy papaya salad with crab.

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Grilled pork liver salad.  Richard likes liver.  I don't :)

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This plate of fresh veggies is apparently a standard in most Thai eateries.  The locals eat them raw.  We didn't touch this, though.

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Happy camper.

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Majinet Jackson dito kaya pawis na ang beauty ko.  Heehee!

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Our bill: Thb 220 (Php 316) only!  May leftovers pa!

Parmesan Chicken with Honey Mustard Dip

This is my last installment for my Meal Makeover kwento because I was only able to make three meals out of the four that I had originally planned.  I am currently on a diet (will tell you all about it if it works on me) so the Chicken Kebab will have to wait for a couple more days.

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What I love most about this dish is you don't need to deep fry it.  I don't like to deep fry at home and I try to avoid it as much as I can.  It's unhealthy and it makes the entire apartment smell like well, prito and I think it's also a waste of cooking oil for me since I don't reuse my cooking oil.  I also don't use a lot of oil even for sauteeing that's why a one-liter bottle of canola oil goes a long way in my kitchen.

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Anyway, here's the recipe:

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Ingredients:

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5 chicken breast fillets, skinned

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. chopped tarragon leaves

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used Panko or Japanese breadcrumbs and it was ok)

6 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper for seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

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For the Honey Mustard Dip:

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2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

2 tsp. honey

1/4 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

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Marinate chicken in olive oil, mustard and tarragon for 30 minutes.

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Then, preheat oven to 350F and prepare the Honey Mustard dip: mix the mustard, honey, mayo, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  You may adjust the ingredients according to your taste.  Set aside.

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In a shallow dish, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper together.  Dip the chicken breast in the beaten eggs then cover with breadcrumbs.

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Arrange the chicken breast on a baking dish, drizzle melted butter over them and bake for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

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Serve with the Honey Mustard dip.

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Enjoy!

Apple Crumble

This is another great find from allrecipes.  It's so easy to make and I promise you, it's a winner.

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Sorry, but this was the only photo that I took.  Richard and I were too excited to eat it, I didn't have time for arte presentations.

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Ingredients:

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2   Granny Smith apples, cored and diced* 

2   Tbsp, Brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2   Tbsp. Cold butter, cut into cubes**

1/2 cup Quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup Flour

1/8 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Brown sugar

5   Tbsp. Cold butter, cut into cubes

*For this recipe, I used one big Fuji apple and it turned out ok.

**I use 1/2 cup of butter, cut into 3 parts: 1/3 = 2 Tbsp., 2/3 = 5 Tbsp.

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Preheat oven to 350F/175C

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In a bowl, toss together apple, brown sugar and cinnamon until well coated.  Grease an ovenproof dish with butter and transfer the apples.  Dot with 2 Tbsp. butter.  Set aside.

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In another bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients.  Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter (or two knives) until well blended and the dough starts to form big chunks.  Spread the chunks of the topping mixture over the apples and bake for 35-40 minutes until the apples are done and the crust turns a nice shade of brown.

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Enjoy!

Steak and Salad

And so our Meal Makeover kwento continues...

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During our Mother's Day lunch at Neil's Tavern, Aly had a new love for steak and she's been craving for that eversince.  So the other day, we had:

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Steak with carrots and potatoes...

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...salad with garlic french dressing...

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...and Richard's favorite apple crumble for dessert.

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I have to say that garlic french dressing is my new favorite salad dressing!   I like the light one, not the creamy kind.  One day, I will try to make that from scratch.  If you have a great french dressing recipe, please do share!

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The salad consists of the ff: oakleaf lettuce, smoked ham (which I baked for like ten minutes to make it a little crispy), herbed croutons and garlic french dressing.  I made the croutons from scratch.  First, I mixed extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder (fresh minced garlic works best, but I was in a hurry), tarragon and thyme.  Then, I brushed the mixture on both sides of white bread, cut them into small squares, and baked them in the oven until brown and crispy.  You have to wait for the croutons to cool a bit, though before adding to the salad because the lettuce might wilt.

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That's all for now.  I promise to share my apple crumble recipe in another post because I have a shuttle to catch in 30 minutes.  Happy cooking!
 

Roast Chicken Leftover

If all the chicken parts were to join a popularity contest, I think the first place will go either to the thighs, the wings or the drumstick. I know this for a fact because in my family, these three parts are always the first ones to go.
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When I made roast chicken on Monday, the breast was left untouched. Corny naman if you eat the chicken breast by itself. Parang ang dry. So I thought of turning the leftover chicken breasts into something more appealing. I made them into chicken wraps ala taco for dinner last night.
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I cut the chicken breasts into strips and seasoned them with black pepper and chili.
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aLots of black pepper and chili. No salt, since it has been marinated already. I popped the chicken in the oven just for a couple of minutes.
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aThe supporting cast: sour cream, salsa in a bottle (too lazy to make salsa from scratch!), grated cheese, oakleaf lettuce, limes (using my new lemon squeezer!), and flour tortillas. I'm not sure if these will all go well together. Bahala na!
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aJust put them all together, in no particular order, any which way you want...wrap with the tortilla and enjoy!
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It was yummy! I had two or three of these. Hehe! Success!! :)

My 31st Birthday

If Richard had his way, we would have celebrated my birthday with a nice lunch or dinner (or both!) in restaurant of my choice and a day at the mall shopping for my gift. Two weeks before my birthday, he would ask me almost everyday: "Sweetie, what do you want to do on your birthday?" "Saan tayo kakain?" "Nakapili ka na ba ng gift mo?"
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I tried to make plans, but I eventually gave up. Nakaka-stress! So one night, when dear hubby came back from work, I told him: "Sweetie, I want to have a simple celebration for my birthday this year. No big production, just low key. Let's stay at home na lang and I'll cook."
"What? Are you sure? Baka mapagod ka sa pagluluto."
"Don't worry. Yung madali lang lulutuin ko. Tsaka sina Angel will be here next week. Saka na lang tayo mag-celebrate pag dating nila para triple celebration kami nila Mick and Chig."
"Okay. Pero pano yung gift mo?"
"I can wait for a few more days. Sayang din ang VAT refund."
"Eh pano yun, wala manlang akong regalo sa birthday mo?"
"O sige, punta lang ako ng spa. Yun ang birthday gift nyo sa kin ni Yan."
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And yet, when I woke up last Saturday, Richard and Aly gave me these:
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aBirthday cards (see how Aly decorated her card with stickers? Cute!)...
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a...another one made by Alyannah (this time she used stamps)...
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a...and flowers.
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You might be wondering about the food that I cooked for my birthday. I prepared:
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Roast beef tenderloin with mustard and herb marinade.
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a The meat was soo tender! It was the best beef that Richard and I had in Bangkok so far. Super worth the price talaga! I was supposed to make gravy pero tinamad na ko. Lea and Perrins na lang. Hehe!
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aFor long life: spaghetti al amatriciana.
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aAnd ofcourse, my white chocolate birthday cake.
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aAly chose the design for mommy's cake.
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aShe even made a map for daddy so he'll know where to pick up the cake.
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aHappy birthday to me! :)
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aOakwood also sent me flowers.
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It was a great birthday! I am thankful for all my blessings: my husband who takes good care of me; my daughter who is smart, well-behaved and mabait; my family, friends, my health...I can't ask for anything more! :)