Yummy Baked Oatmeal

I am always on the lookout for new breakfast dishes so it won't always be the same old, same old fare. Besides, though oatmeal is a staple in our household, the taste can get boring. But not anymore, adding cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the mix make this baked oatmeal a sure winner and is the current favorite of the two tots!

We first tasted this oatmeal at Good Earth, a cafe in Holland, and we have loved it ever since. I thought I'll try to re-create it and adjust it to our taste. Here it is. Enjoy your breakfast with this very easy and nutritious oatmeal.

Ingredients

2 cups rolled or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
A pinch or two of ground cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup or half a stick of butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

.....and, milk for pouring.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180 C. Mix all the ingredients and pour into a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Take it out of the oven and then let it settle for about 3 mins (only because my family cannot wait longer than this!). Serve warm with milk and dried fruits, if desired. Raisins are particularly perfect for this!



In the summer we enjoy this with fresh berries!

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Filipino (Pinoy) Style Lentil Soup

It's getting really cold now and I miss my favorite Mung Bean dish - Ginisang Munggo - which we often have in the Philippines. When I discovered that lentils have a similar taste and texture to my fave mungo I decided to cook it the same way and I love the result. For this recipe, instead of the usual pork and beef cutlets traditionally added in Ginisang Munggo, I opted for Italian sausages for richer taste and texture. Towards the end of cooking, I added some spinach leaves to pack in extra nutrients!

If you're thinking of one healthy meal to cook for your  family that's full of good flavor without much guilt, you have to try this recipe. My husband particularly loves this and little Sophie eats this with rice!

Just leave out the meat if you want a vegan or vegetarian option. Enjoy this healthy soup (or stew) during the cooler days!





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Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 crushed garlic cloves
2 medium size onions, chopped
1 lb Italian or your favorite sausage (mild or hot or a combo), cut/chopped diagonally
5 diced roma tomatoes 
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups dried lentils
5 cups of water
1 (10 oz) bag of spinach

Procedure

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Sauté the garlic and onions until the onions are tender about 3-4 mins.

Add the sausages and cook until brown. Stir in the tomatoes and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper then cook for another 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, rinse the lentils and drain. Add the lentils and water to the sausages and vegetables then bring to a boil.

  

Simmer covered for about an hour or until lentils are tender. Finally, add the spinach and cook just until it's wilted.

Adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve hot on its own or paired with bread or rice.

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Another Lovely Blog Award

 

During the summer, I was surprised to receive "A Lovely Blog Award." Little did I know that a few months later, I will be getting another one. I don't think that I necessarily deserve it, infact, it is humbling to be given such recognition. I am grateful though for the honor so thank you so much Sherin of Kuk's Kitchen for bestowing this on me.

 

I discovered Kuk's Kitchen through Daily Food Buzz. When I visited her site, I fell in love with it because of the many lovely Indian recipes she features there. I love Indian cuisine so this was a wonderful find for me.  Do check out her blog not only for the amazing Asian food she offers but for her lovely photography too!

There are certain rules to follow when you receive the award, such as:   

• Link back to the person who nominated you. (Check!)
• Add "The One Lovely Blog Award" to your post. (Check!)
• Share 7 random things about yourself.
• Pass the award onto 15 nominees and let them know. (I need more than 15 but that's the rule!)

Now for the 7 random things about me: (I must admit I have shared this previously but for those who don't know any of this yet, this is for your benefit!)

1. I grew up in an island called Marinduque, one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines.

2. I am a lawyer by profession but currently a happy stay-at-home mom.

3. I used to work for the Philippine Senate and the Supreme Court.

4. Before I took up law, I was once a TV producer in one of the local networks in Manila.

5. I met my British husband in London while I was studying at Oxford.

6. By God's grace, I have been able to travel and visit over 130 cities in 26 countries.

7. I love to sing as much as I love to cook. Our neighbors in Manila were both my willing and unwilling audience for the longest time!

8. I need to add one more  --- I am a follower of Christ.

Finally, here's my list of noteworthy and truly excellent blogs. I love them all and they serve as my inspiration in making my blog even better.
 

 

1. Once a Mom Always a Cook
2. Walking on Sunshine
3. Sumptuous Spoonfuls
4. Giangis Kitchen
5. The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
6. Knead to Cook
7. From Valerie's Kitchen
8. Pentole e Fornelli
9. The Food Geek Diary
10. Moore or Less Cooking
12. Flour Me with Love
13. Eat Love and be Merry
14. Sherry's Cafe Vita
15. A'lil Country Sugar

Thanks for visiting Manila Spoon!







 

Roast-Si-Log - Roast Beef - Sinangag [fried rice] - Itlog [egg]

Go around Metro Manila and when you order breakfast, you'll never miss TAP-SI-LOG on any menu. TAP-SI-What? Tapsilog (Tapa-sinangag-itlog / Beef - fried rice - egg combo) is a classic Filipino breakfast and truly one of my fave. Tapsilog is the term used when tapa (beef), fried rice (sinangag), and fried egg (itlog) are combined into one meal often served during breakfast but may be eaten anytime of the day.

 

Tapa, on the other hand, is dried or cured beef, similar to Beef Jerky. Thin slices of meat are cured with salt and spices as a method of preserving them. Tapa is best fried or grilled and often served with vinegar on the side. 

 When I used to work for the Supreme Court, I was able to order home-made tapa. It was delicious! The beef was already marinated and ready-to-cook. How easy was that? I miss those days. So far, I haven't been able to duplicate that kind of yummy beef tapa but I found a way to use left-over roast beef to make my own tapa (without any hasle) and discovered that it tastes similar to the "real cured tapa" but is never tough.

Nowadays, when I have left-over roast beef, then it would be on my breakfast menu the next day. I just fry the roast beef, in small batches, until it has dried a little and has some crunchy bite into it. While frying, I season it with a little salt and pepper and then shred them afterwards. Then to make it complete, I make some fried rice and  sunny-side up eggs to go with it. Easy and delicious! It's like I never left Manila.

I do hope someday to try and make my own "traditional tapa." For now Roast-Beef Tapa is fine for me! :-) Here's how to make easy -TAP-SI-LOG.

Ingredients

Left-over roast beef - here's the link to my slow-cooker roastbeef that I use for this.

Eggs (depends on how many you want to make)

2-3 cups cold left-over rice - if you want to make a more fancy fried rice - here's the recipe link

3-4 Garlic cloves, crushed

Oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste 

Procedure
Fried Rice

1. Heat a little oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

2. Add the cold rice and stir-fry until fully warmed up. Season with salt and add a little soy sauce for color. 

   

Roast Beef.
Cut the roast beef into smaller chunks. Heat a frying pan with some oil (or if beef has enough fat on it, I leave out the oil). Fry the beef and season with salt and pepper. When it's already brown and crunchy, shred into pieces or leave as is.  

Eggs
As part of this breakfast dish, the eggs are usually fried and seasoned with a bit of salt on top.

Finally, assemble the rice, eggs and beef in a plate and enjoy with coffee!

Apple Praline Bread

Last year, I was reading the local newspaper (Holland Sentinel) when I chanced upon this lovely bread recipe. It was the winner for the Apple Recipe Contest sponsored by the Downtown Holland Magazine, a publication of the Holland Sentinel. Upon reading it, I knew I just had to try it. It was such a delicious  recipe. The praline topping with crunchy nuts and buttery sauce is totally divine. If only to taste the topping, you gotta make this. Surely, this has become our favorite fall bread.

This recipe was adapted from the Apple-Praline Bread Recipe from the Holland Sentinel.

 

 Ingredients

1 cup sour cream or yogurt                        

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups baking apples or 2 small-medium ones (sweet-tart variety is great for this), peeled and finely chopped
1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

For the praline sauce:

¼-1/2  cup brown sugar and ¼-1/2 cup butter 

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease a  9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream/yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended.

Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.

Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. The apples here still look big as this was my first attempt but then the second time around, I chopped them finely so the bread is easier to cut (not breaking apart) once it has cooled down.

Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.


For the praline sauce:

In a small sauce pan,  place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.

What a lovely fall bread! 

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Psalm 46:1-4

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah) 4