Mango Papaya Smoothie

I literally grew up surrounded by papaya trees. My mom loved cultivating them so we always had a few of them in our backyard. In our house in Manila there's at least one papaya tree in our front yard. Papaya trees are great to grow for they often yield a bountiful harvest of fruits. They are also quite versatile for not only can you eat the ripe papayas, even the green (unripe) ones are quite handy to use in savory dishes. They are especially good when combined with poultry.

The other day I went to a nearby Mexican grocery to get some tomatoes. In their fruit and veggie section, I saw a ripe papaya and immediately grabbed it (after paying, of course!) and brought it home. I don't often find a ripe papaya so when I see one I take the chance to buy it. I am always thrilled when I find tropical fruits in the grocery. It always brings me back closer to home. 

Here I am using the papaya fruit in a smoothie/shake 'cause it is perfectly ripe and sweet!

I had some left-over mangoes as well so I thought what better way to make a smoothie than to combine my two favorite tropical fruits. 

To make it creamier I do add a bit of milk, but if you wish to make a pure smoothie, just leave out the milk and blend as usual.

Ingredients

3 cups papaya, seeded and chopped
3 cups mango flesh, chopped
2 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup milk, or more if desired
brown sugar (or your favorite sweetener), to taste

Procedure 

Mix all ingredients in a blender. I usually start with some ice on the bottom of the blender because they are harder to crush and then I pile on the rest of the ingredients on top. 

*My mango bits  were frozen so I had to let them thaw a bit and then I placed them at the bottom of the blender with a little water or milk so they would puree better.

But if all your ingredients are fresh, proceed as above. I use the smoothie/shake button on my blender.

Serve immediately. Truly a healthy and refreshing drink!

Proof that it's yummy --- happy customers like these two!

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Ice Cream Sandwich

Need I say more? To be honest, this photo leaves me speechless..... and very hungry! J

Of late, when I write a post it seems that I always relate it to something that I have experienced in the past, particularly my childhood. My memories, just like most Filipinos, revolve around food. Experiences are built at or around food. When families and friends get together, there's always food. In fact, our customary greeting, "Kumusta ka na? (How are you?) is often followed by, "O, kumain ka na ba?" (Have you eaten)? To say that we love food is an understatement.

Again, I have been reminiscing about our childhood snacks in the Philippines. At around   mid-afternoon, we like to have "meryenda" (snacks). Of course, every child's favorite snack is "sorbetes" or ice cream.

In neighborhoods, you would hear the sound of a bell ringing and, no, it's not from a church bell, it's actually from the local ice cream man/vendor or "Mamang Sorbetero" as we fondly call them. Every town or village would have their own local ice cream vendor that we even have a song written about it. Click here to see what a typical "Mamang Sorbetero" looks like. 

Sometimes we buy "sorbetes" in a cone but there are times when we buy ice cream in a roll or bun. Yes, an ice cream sandwich. My husband cannot believe we eat ice cream with bread. I told him he should try it 'cause it's really good. So far I have not been successful in convincing him. Perhaps if the ice cream is sandwiched between two cookies, he'll give in. Too bad though, the kids beat him to it!

So, when the local pandesal is not enough for your ice cream. Why not grab  two of your favorite cookies (I like the chocolate ones!) and then insert your favorite ice cream in between. For this rather indulgent version (a once-a-month perhaps even a once-a-year treat!) I used chocolate cookies and vanilla flavored ice cream. Yum!

Avocado Shake or Smoothie

One of my fondest memories of childhood was during the summer season in our little island called Marinduque when my mom, in the stifling heat, gave us cold refreshments to help us cool down. Often, it would be a fresh fruit shake in the form of mango, papaya, banana, guyabano, or avocado depending on whichever tropical fruit was in season.

But you may wonder --- avocado? Certainly, it's not fruit! Well, in the Philippines it is! When we think of avocado, we think of eating eat just like any ordinary fruit. We don't really use it as part of a savory dish; we just enjoy it on its own. When you get the ripest avocado, it is almost sweet though you don't expect it to be mango sweet, of course. In fact, for most of us, the way to eat avocado without much ado is to just to open it up - remove the pit,  sprinkle a little brown sugar on it and then scoop out the flesh with the spoon. Yum! When we are feeling more adventurous, we also squeeze a little juice from the local lime (calamansi) to give it some zing! Even better.

For me, apart from making guacamole, the best way to make use of avocado is to turn it into a yummy smoothie or shake. Avocado is just perfect for a shake for it naturally has a creamy texture. We don't call it a smoothie in the Philippines - with or without ice cream or milk - it is always considered a shake. I suggest the use of regular milk when making the shake instead of yogurt or ice cream 'cause it can get very thick. That shouldn't stop you from eating it with ice cream or making an avocado ice cream for that matter - perhaps I should make one soon!

So before the summer is over and when you get the craving to grab some avocados in the supermarket why not try to turn it into a yummy shake for a change. Trust me, once you've had it, you'll never see avocado the same way again.

Ingredients

2 Avocados (ripe)

2 cups crushed ice*

1 cup milk, plus more if needed (for Paleo sub with Almond or Coconut Milk)

Honey, Agave or Sugar (3-4 Tbsp if using brown sugar), to taste 

*You may or may not wish to include ice. Since Avocado smoothie/shake can be quite thick, in the Philippines we use some ice to dilute it a little plus it's a summer drink so it has to be cold.

Procedure

Place the crushed ice in a blender. Top it with the avocado.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth and thick to your desired consistency. You may need to add more milk if you want just an easy pour kind of shake. I like mine a little thick and creamy.

If you are feeling rather indulgent, add some whipped cream and garnish it with a cherry on top!

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Chicken, Cashew Nuts and Red Peppers in Sweet Chili Sauce

Usually, I like to plan ahead for what will be the menu for the week. I make a list of all the ingredients that I need and then buy them all in one go. This is to ensure that I don't have to do extra trips to the grocery during the week. But there are those days when things don't go as planned, either I suddenly don't fancy what I have originally thought I wanted to prepare or my family have other suggestions. We like to have a bit of flexibility! :-)

Anyway, I went to Meijer and saw some red peppers on sale. Red peppers are pretty expensive if they are not in season so I never buy them unless they are on sale or as in this case, a bargain! They were bunched in a plastic and were probably not in their best shape anymore hence they were on sale. I saw that they were still good though and if you cook them immediately you won't know the difference between the freshest ones available and the ones they're trying to get rid of.

But now, since I wasn't initially planning on using red peppers till I saw that they were dirt cheap, I had to think of a viand that I can use this with. I only had chicken available but they always pair well with peppers so that's good. But what else can I add to chicken and peppers? I was thinking Asian, something Chinese-inspired, that will go well with rice. 

I was considering using my South African Chutney for that sweet sour taste but I had second thoughts. Then I saw in the corner of my fridge, almost begging me to pick it up, was the sweet chili sauce. Perfect! It has peppers in it already, though the spicy kind of course, but it should complement the red peppers. To put some crunch and texture, I added roasted cashew nuts. Done! There goes dinner.

My husband loved it and that's all that matters! 

So here it is, hope you like it too.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 Tbsp Sweet Chili sauce (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
A little water to dilute the sauce, if desired
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts

 Procedure

Heat oil in a medium skillet. When hot, add the garlic cloves and let sizzle for a minute. Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the chicken pieces and sauté just until they change their color, about 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the diced red pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes. I like my red pepper crunchy so I don't overcook it.

Pour in the sweet chili sauce (diluted with a little water) and coat the chicken and the peppers. The sweet chili sauce I have is the one used as dipping sauce for spring rolls. 

Once the chicken and the peppers are fully glazed, add in the cashew nuts. Cook for another minute.

Serve immediately with steaming rice on the side. Yum!

Note: I dilute the chili sauce with a little water (1-2 Tbsp) and taste it to get to the spice level that I like or at least what my family can take!

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Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge/Pudding)

 Back in the Philippines, I remember those lazy saturdays when you can get up later than usual, have a late breakfast and just relax. Of course, one of our classic Filipino breakfast (that doesn't involve fried rice or eggs or even meat....yes, admittedly there is rice but at least it's not fried!) is champorado - chocolate rice porridge.

Who can resist chocolate rice? I can't!

This version is a little richer than the usual champorado. In fact, when my hubby tasted it he thought I should serve it more as a dessert rather than as breakfast. Oh well, for me it's good either way!

Instead of just using water to cook the rice, I use a combination of coconut milk and fresh 2% milk. Evaporated milk, which is more readily available in the Philippines, is fine too. 
It came out really creamy and yummy and enhanced the flavor of the chocolate.
If you wish to have this for breakfast, I recommend using only half of the coconut milk plus some water as stated in the recipe. But if it will be used as dessert, then go ahead and use the entire can and leave out the water for a much creamier version.

So enjoy this champorado either at breakfast or after a meal as a dessert. Top it with with vanilla ice cream or even chocolate chips if you are feeling really indulgent! :-)

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups white glutinous or sticky Rice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
• 3 cups Water
• 1 (12 oz.) can Evaporated Milk
• 1 (14 oz) can Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup brown Sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

                                                                                   
Procedure

Wash and drain the rice well. Place in a large deep pan and mix with the unsweetened cocoa powder. Pour in the water and stir. Bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, adjust heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly dried up and the rice is tender about 20-30 minutes

Pour in the evaporated milk and coconut milk. Stir. Add the brown sugar and chocolate chips. Stir until everything is combined and the color is even. Continue to cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or so on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the consistency and thickness is to your liking and the milk has been fully heated through. If it's too thick simply dilute with a little water or milk. Adjust sweetness to your taste.

Serve in individual bowls with additional milk and sugar on the side and perhaps a few sprinkling of extra chocolate chips! Traditionally, we eat it with dried salted fish. But, you don't have to! For dessert, simply top with vanilla ice cream and serve warm. :-)

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Enjoy this yummy chocolatey treat!