Mango-Strawberry Smoothie

It's summer and there is no better way to beat the summer heat but with a smoothie! We love mangoes and strawberries so I decided that I prepare a combo smoothie of these two fruits.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of mango/strawberry yogurt (your choice)
• 1 mango
• 1/2 cup of strawberries
• 1 cup of multigrain cereal

How to prepare:

1. Put the milk, yogurt, chopped mango, strawberries, and cereal in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add sugar if you want.
3. Transfer in a glass and top with cereal or fruit.

And you have a mango-strawberry smoothie! You can serve this for breakfast or for snack. It's healthy, yummy, and easy to prepare.

Shrimp In Garlic-Butter Sauce

Kim and I are loyal customers of Dampa Sa Libis, but only because we had no idea how to cook their signature shrimp in garlic-butter sauce dish. But, since someone gave us a kilo of free shrimps, we decided to give this dish a try.

Cooking this was actually nerve wrecking for us. The first time we tried to cook this was a disaster! Moreover, it had to taste perfect because the whole family was waiting for it. Plus, we didn't want the shrimps to go to waste. Fortunately, we got the whole recipe correctly. Kudos to us!

If you're a fan of dampa, why not try cooking this dish yourself?

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of shrimp
• 1/2 cup of butter
• Salt (to taste)
• 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 cups of Royal True Orange

Procedure:

1. Turn the heat to medium/high then add the shrimps and two cups of Royal True Orange in the pan. Add a pinch of salt. Leave for 5-10 minutes or when the shrimp turns red-ish.
2. In a separate pan, let the butter melt on low heat then add the minced garlic. Let the ingredients mix.
3. When the shrimps are cooked, set them aside then add the juice from the pan where you cooked your shrimps to the pan with the butter and garlic mixture. Add salt to taste. The sauce was initially too sweet for our taste so we kept adding salt until we got the right taste.
4. Drain some of the juice until you reach the sauce consistency that you prefer. Let it simmer for a few more minutes then add to the shrimp.
5. Serve with rice!

The Sizzlin' Pepper Steak

When I started cooking, I always make it a point to prepare home-cooked lunch and meals for Kim and I. But, when our schedules won't allow us, we resort to eating out. Thing is, we don't just eat out. Since Kim is expecting, she has been very picky with the food she eats. If she doesn't like it, I have no choice but to buy something else... or she doesn't eat at all! So, when we eat out, I make sure we go to restaurants that will serve food that I know Kim will like. Of course, I also make sure that it's within budget. I wouldn't want to overspend on eating out especially with our little angel on the way.

Sizzlin' Pepper Steak is a favorite lunch destination for Kim and I. Our favorite meal there is no other than the Beef Pepper Steak... but that doesn't say a lot since it's the only meal we've been ordering ever since we started eating there. Yes, we're loyal to food we love. Then again, it wouldn't be a best-seller if it isn't good - so try it out! Another thing we enjoy in this restaurant is that the service is really fast (we usually go to the Katipunan Ave. branch) and the waitresses are really friendly. Most importantly, it's cheap! For every meal, we only spend more or less P500 for both of us, drinks included.

Here's a restaurant that does not only serve good food, but is also light on the budget. This is why Sizzlin' Pepper Steak never fails to satisfy our ever-hungry appetites!

Beef Steak

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to make our loved ones feel special. Some choose to give a bouquet of flowers, others give a box of chocolates... I chose to prepare a home-cooked meal for Kim. She has been craving for beef steak for the longest time already, so this meal definitely made her extra happy.

Ingredients:

• Beef Tenderloin (500 grams)
• Two large onions, cut into rings
• Two tablespoons minced garlic
• One tablespoon crushed pepper
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Five tablespoons lemon/calamansi juice
• Cooking oil

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, mix five tablespoons of lemon/calamansi juice with 1/4 cup of soy sauce.
2. Add two tablespoons of minced garlic and one tablespoon of crushed pepper to the mixture.
3. Marinade the beef in the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate.
4. When marinaded beef is ready, heat the pan then add two tablespoons of cooking oil. Cook the onion rings until transparent then drain in a paper towel.
5. Keep the pan warm then fry the beef until cooked.
6. Add the mixture you made earlier to the pan until it boils.
7. Transfer to a plate/bowl then put the onions on top.

To add a touch of Valentine's, I added three chocolate hearts when I served the meal. :) This recipe can serve 2-4 persons and very easy to do! It'll just take an hour to prepare and cook.

Chef Dogan Turkish Grill and Restaurant

To celebrate our last class session (and as a Valentine's Day celebration as well), our class - along with our professor - went to Chef Dogan Turkish Grill and Restaurant along Katipunan extension. I have to be honest, I am not a fan of Turkish food (I think they put too much onions), but I have to say that the food at Chef Dogan is delicious.

I ordered a Kebab Sandwich for my main meal and a rice pudding for dessert. My friend also let me taste the humus, which I found super yummy! Forgive me, though, because I wasn't able to take photos. Anyway. I really enjoyed our meal there (the ambiance is great!) and Chef Dogan himself was there to welcome our group. The waitresses are super nice as well. They were patient enough to answer every single question we have about the unfamiliar food. Moreover, the meals are pretty affordable. For my sandwich and dessert, I only spent more or less P200.