Category: Food

Recipes from the Century Bangus Kitchen

Century Bangus

I was lucky to be one of the invited bloggers to taste the dishes created from Century Bangus.  Now is really a great time for me as I need to lose a lot of weight.  I know that eating fish will be the best way for me to achieve that goal.  Plus, we all know that fish does have a lot of healthy benefits.

I actually saw Century Bangus product line in the supermarket but never really took time to notice them.  Good thing I attended the bloggers’ event or else, I’d be missing a whole lot.  Next time, I will actually look for Century Bangus in the grocery and will buy some for sure.

Century Bangus is the newest addition to Century Canning Corporation’s products.  I’m pretty sure you’re very familiar with Century Tuna.  Now, Century Bangus is their newest baby with a whole range of products that come with it namely:

  • Century Bangus Fillet
  • Century Bangus Chunks
  • Century Bangus Sisig
  • Century Quality Premium Boneless Bangus
  • Century Quality Premium Bangus Belly Unseasoned
  • Century Quality Premium Boneless Bangus Belly Marinated
  • Century Quality Premium Bangus Tocino

Why do those products worth looking into?  Well, it’s because they are healthy, delicious and most importantly, fresh.  Century takes pride in the processing of their bangus.  It was grown and farmed in seawater cages somewhere in Southern Mindanao.  As the fish are harvested, they are brought immediately to Century’s facilities where the fish is processed and packed on the same day.

We are assured that whenever we buy a Century Bangus product, it’s of high quality and fresh.  Plus, do you know that Century’s facilities have even been accredited by the EU and US FDA?  Now, that can definitely give us a peace of mind 🙂

So you bought a Century Bangus product but you wanted to get more ideas as to how to prepare it.  You’re in luck because I’m going to share with you the recipes of the 3 yummy dishes Chef Apple prepared for us that night.

chef Apple Century bangus

Century Bangus Salad with Caramelized Pear & Walnuts

century bangus salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cooking oil
1-450 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated

Caramelized Pears:
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup canned pear, sliced

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons reduced balsamic vinegar
*** to reduce balsamic vinegar: pour 2 cups balsamic vinegar into a skillet or saucepan. Allow it to simmer with occasional stirring for about 5 minutes until a little syrupy or desired consistency is achieved. Remove from heat to allow it to thicken some more as it cools.

Procedure:
Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden. Spoon out bangus meat from the skin & set aside. Sprinkle sugar on pears. Pan-grill on a skillet brushed lightly with oil until caramelized. Set aside. Whisk together lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper & extra virgin olive oil. Cover & chill until ready to serve.

Toss together mixed greens, walnuts & cherry tomatoes.  Arrange on a plate topped with bangus flakes & caramelized pears.  Drizzle with vinaigrette and reduced balsamic vinegar.

Makes 6 servings.

Century Bangus & Kani Burrito

century bangus burrito

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cooking oil
1-410 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated
1 cup Japanese mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste
4 pieces kani (Japanese crab sticks), cut into strips
1 cup cucumber, seeds removed & sliced into thin strips
1 cup ripe mango, sliced into thin strips
1 cup torn lettuce
4 large regular sized tortilla wrap

Procedure:
Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden.  Spoon out bangus meat from the skin & set aside.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise & wasabi.  Add bangus flakes & kani, mixing it well.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Fill tortilla wrap with bangus mixture, lettuce, cucumber and mango.  Roll then serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Century Bangus and Farfalle a la Genovese

century bangus pasta

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cooking oil
1-450 grams Century Premium Boneless Bangus Marinated
200 grams farfalle (ribbon pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups whole cream
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese for garnish
1 cup pesto sauce
*** make your own pesto sauce by blending together 3 cups sweet basil leaves, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a clean airtight jar or container. This may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Procedure:
Heat cooking oil in a large pan and fry Century Bangus until golden. Spoon out bangus meat from the skin and set aside.

Cook pasta as directed in the package.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic until aromatic.  Stir in pesto sauce & cream.  Season with salt & pepper.  Add pasta & bangus to the sauce & toss well.  Remove from heat and top with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

We were given ample servings of all 3 dishes.  I must say all of them were delicious.  My favorite was the salad.  It was delightful!  I hope you can try out the recipes yourselves too!  Don’t forget to use Century Bangus with them 🙂

Roch Signature

Borough

Borough

Buying deals from group buying sites became my habit nowadays.  I got one of the best deals by purchasing the discounted promo of Borough.  I’m glad I did because I liked every single dish served to us.

We drove to Podium mall yesterday to dine at Borough.  They say that if you wanted to get a feel of New York, you will be able to find it in Borough.  I was curious to find out.  Of course, I wanted to try out what comfort food in New York tasted like.  I was a bit worried as we didn’t get any reservation but was relieved that there were still empty tables.

borough ambiance

The ambiance of Borough made me feel that a lot of people hang out at the place.  I saw several barkadas enjoying their meal.  I also saw some businessmen talking about work stuff.  There were couples too!  My mom and I went to Borough for dinner but I noticed that a lot of people go there for late-night drinks.

I appreciate the service too.  It wasn’t too hard calling their attention if I wanted more water or needed anything.  I was however a bit sad that they took our fries away without asking my permission :'(  When I asked for it, they didn’t give it back as they’ve thrown it away.  We were done with our meal but I wasn’t done yet with the fries.  I loved it and would want to finish it :'(

We got the best-sellers in Borough.  1 appetizer, 1 main meal & 1 dessert.  Let me share with you what they are:

  • Buffalo Chicken Wings (Php 300)

buffalo wings borough

Definitely the best buffalo wings I have eaten in the Metro.  The flavoring was absolutely perfect!  It was a bit spicy though so for those who isn’t fond of spicy food, you have to watch out for that.  On the other hand, my mom loved the blue cheese dip.  It was a great start for a great meal!

  • All-Beef Cheeseburger (Php 360)

all beef cheeseburger borough

I love the presentation of this dish.  The burger was put in a chopboard with a map-designed placemat on top.  You have the burger bun opened up showing the awesome burger with melted cheddar cheese & onions on top.  On the other side, there was the lettuce with some tomatoes.  I especially love that they put the fries on a brown bag (pretty good thinking out there).

The presentation just wasn’t the only thing that we admired with Borough’s all-beef cheeseburger.  The bun was so warm and I actually told my mom I can eat the bun without anything on it.  The beef was very nice too but I felt it was a bit dry in the middle.  I do know why though coz I requested it to be cooked well-done.  I should have asked for medium-well but still good.  The fries was delightful!  It was crispy and didn’t sog at all.  This dish was a winner!

  • Mom’s Milk & Cookies (Php 190)

moms milk & cookies borough

One of the most unique desserts I have taken.  Mom’s Milk & Cookies has 3 different freshly baked cookies namely: chocolate chip, spiced ginger & peanut cookies.  They were really freshly baked, still hot when served to us.  We were asked to dip the cookies in the milk which was a special blend by the Chef.  I tasted the milk without the cookies and it was yummy!  Then I found out that it was a combination of milk and vanilla ice cream!  Wow!  Out of all the cookies, I enjoyed the spiced ginger the most.  When I visit Borough next time, I will request to have all spiced ginger cookies than assorted ones hehehe 😛

My mom and I enjoyed our food tripping last night.  I told my mom we will eat out every week in a different restaurant.  We’ll try out food places we haven’t been.  Borough was our 1st stop and we weren’t disappointed.

mom and roch at borough

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Borough
G/F The Podium Mall, 12 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 570-8906

Roch Signature

Lechon Pizza by Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut's Lechon Pizza

After trying so hard not to order Pizza Hut’s new offering, I finally indulged last Christmas eve.  My mom has been craving for Lechon for the longest time.  Since it’s noche buena time and we didn’t prepare anything.  We decided to order delivery for our mini celebration.

I remembered that mom loves pizza too so I figured that we should just try out Pizza Hut’s holiday offering, Lechon Pizza.  Perfect combination, isn’t it?

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza.  Even if the thought of it conjures up images of a defibrillator and a massive heart attack, sometimes you just have to indulge.  Sinfully good food sometimes has its way of finding itself sitting right in front of you.  With all the calories and cholesterol this pizza must have, I know that this had to be a once in a blue moon treat.  And what better time to have such a rich and cholesterol heavy pizza than on Christmas Eve for our Noche Buena.

So, I called Pizza Hut Delivery a few hours before Christmas eve.  I got a busy tone, so I tried again and still it was busy.  I must have tried quite a few times, but I still wasn’t able to get through.  I was beginning to feel that it would be almost near impossible to reach them in time for our Noche Buena.  Well, when everything fails, try going online.  And what do you know, Pizza Hut allows us to order online too!!  Woohoo!! Oh the wonders of technology and how it can oftentimes be a saving grace when it comes to a lot of things, even ordering food.  I love it!

Pizza Hut’s Holiday offering comes in 2 sizes:

  • Medium Size (10″) – Php 329
  • Large Size (14″) – Php 499

It was a no-brainer that we ordered the medium size hahaha!  Kidding aside, I was delighted to find out that they have “Holiday Feast” offerings.  One option has spaghetti included while the other one has an ultimate cheese pizza.  We ordered Feast 2 which has the extra pizza.

pizza hut holiday feast

I was pretty excited to find out what Lechon Pizza looked like.  Apparently, the lechon skin is separate from the pizza itself.  They provided instructions on what to do with it: crack it into bite-sized pieces, put on top of pizza and enjoy it.

The lechon skin was unbelievably thin.  I guess all the fats were dissolved when it was fried.  Doesn’t feel too greasy which is cool!

balat lechon pizza hut

The Pizza itself can be eaten as it is, without the skin, but I think what we all love most about Lechon is really that crispy skin.  So, of course, we decided to put it on our pizza.  Aside from the crispy skin topping, the pizza itself is already loaded with tons of cheese and a whole  lot of roasted pig (the lechon).  I still can’t believe the combination, lechon and pizza all in one.  Whoever came up with this idea is just a genius in my opinion.  Definitely not a friend for those on a diet, but this is a welcome treat for any Filipino celebration.

The lechon pizza was so delicious, but it was definitely a heavy pizza.  I was only able to eat 1 slice of it before becoming immediately full.   I’m not sure if I was already full, or if the pizza itself is just that heavy in calories that it really fills you up that much.  In any case, I think this is a great price for how much you get.  1 to 2 slices, and you’re full right away!

lechon pizza before meal pizza hut

I asked my mom for feedback as well.  She told me it was good especially because it’s new and unique!  I felt it was a good variant.  Hopefully, Pizza Hut will consider having their lechon pizza as a permanent pizza variant.  Well, let’s see.

If you haven’t tried Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza then I suggest you do.  You have until January 15, 2011 to order it.  We finally tried it and we loved it.  It’s definitely not your everyday ordinary pizza, but it’s something that’s definitely a welcome treat especially for us who love lechon! 🙂

——————–
Lechon Pizza
available at all Pizza Hut Branches

November 16, 2010 to January 15, 2011
(02) 911-11-11

Holiday Ham by CDO

Oh Chef Rob Pengson…. One of the reasons why I was so excited to attend the Holiday Ham event last saturday.  He didn’t disappoint.  Not only was he very nice, he was very acommodating and warm too!  But, it’s really not just about cute chef Rob Pengson.  The star of the event is definitely the December offering of CDO, Holiday Ham: The Premium-Cut Ham.

Ham is a must have in our Noche Buena feast.  I’m especially excited for a great Christmas celebration this year.  2 big factors: my mom and my fiance.  Having them with me during one of the most important day of the year makes it complete.  With that in mind, we need to have delicious food items on our table for the celebration.

I went so that I could understand what Holiday Ham has to offer.  We had Chef Rob show us a recipe using Holiday Whole-Meat Ham.  He also explained why he’s endorsing the product and why he believed in it.  Everyone was watching intently.

chef rob demo

These are 3 things why he thinks that Holiday Ham is the best in the market:

  1. Holiday Ham is made from one whole boneless meat from the hind leg which is the best cut of pork for hams.  Hind leg ham is tastier and meatier compared to the more common shaped hams.
  2. Holiday Ham is a high-quality smoked ham.  The net marks attests to that.  Only whole-meat ham can be smoked in these nets because if it isn’t, pieces would fall off.
  3. Holiday Ham has no extenders.  The appearance, taste & texture tell the truth.

Honestly, it was number 2 that really gave me reason to think.  I just love how the ham itself needs a net just in order to stay whole.  Not only does it mean that during the process it was almost falling off the bone, but when it gets to our table, it will surely be one of the most tender, moist, and soft hams that we will ever have.

And of course number 3 is important because often times, when it comes to ham, other companies put extenders in their ham that it takes away from the taste of the ham itself.

It’s better to understand those three things by watching the video below:

And this was the finished product.  Such a brilliant and interesting way to serve up ham.  With greens, some nuts, cabbage, and apples.  We were also given portions in our table so we were able to taste it.  To be fair, I really thought that it was delicious!  My mom was actually taking notes of the ingredients as she had planned to cook the same for us.

With ham, especially a premium one like this particular ham, I think you have so many ways to create a variety of delicious dishes.  I think you are only limited by your imagination.  I’ll be learning how to cook real soon, most probably take up some classes, but I think even right now there are some nice ideas that I can think of when it comes to cooking ham.  Of course, you can make ham sandwiches, and maybe even add some ham to our normal noodle soups.  We can add it on to our salads just like Chef Rob did.  Again, so many ways to cook ham I think.

holiday ham recipe

Chef Rob was super nice!  When I asked for a picture, I also introduced my mom and he said, this must be your older sister!  I said, no, she’s my mom. hahaha!  Then when it was my mom’s turn, he told my mom that I must be just her younger sister.  Small talk with the chef, I love it!

Roch and Chef Rob

I was able to take a Holiday Ham home with me.  Just yesterday, my mom was able to cook it for breakfast.  She followed Chef Rob’s recipe and put some lettuce on it.  I just love my mom 🙂

Holiday Ham is truly delicious and I’m sure it will be part of our Noche Buena celebration this December.  Make it part of your holidays too, I think sometimes you just have to spring for a little extra, especially when it comes to ham.

holiday ham in bag

Mercato Centrale Weekend Market

Mercato Centrale

Today, November 21, was the launch of the newest weekend market in the metro, Mercato Centrale.  I woke up early in the morning just to get a glimpse of it.  I ended up not only getting a glimpse but went home with tons of food goodies and an almost empty wallet hahaha!

Mercato Centrale wasn’t the 1st weekend market I went to.  I remember the 1st tweetup I attended was also in a similar environment.  In fact, while I was talking to some merchandisers earlier, they were telling me they also have a stall in Salcedo Market (located in Makati).

The 1st day of Mercato Centrale was very successful.  I arrived a lil before 8AM and there were tons of people already.  Sellers were very enthusiastic too as it was their 1st ever venture in bringing their products to the now popular Bonifacio Global City.  Whenever we walk along a stall, they would offer us free taste of food, provide brochures of their products, explain what their products were, it was overwhelming! 🙂

mercato crowd

I even saw some celebrities checking out the stalls in the market too.  I gathered enough guts and walked up to them and asked if we could take pictures with them.  Coincidentally, we were watching Sports Unlimited in ANC before leaving the house then we saw Marc Nelson in person!  My mom and I are also a big fan of Angel Aquino who was awesome in a TV series titled Magkaribal.  I was telling her that we watch the show then she told me that I have great skin.  I told her it’s because of Olay, she laughed and thought I was just teasing her (she’s a model of Olay).  I then told her that I’m actually working for P&G (company who owns Olay).

mercato celebrities

Brought to us by the same people behind Ultimate Taste Test & Mommy Mundo events, Mercato Centrale promises us with unique, great tasting food finds.  Following the footsteps of Mercato Centrale in Florence & Boroughs Market in London, I believe they did a good job with the inspiration.

mercato crowd 2

So many stalls in Mercato, they have over 150!  You can find almost any kind of food you can think of in the weekend market.  They have pastries, frozen meat, organic foods, fresh juices, snacks, sauces, desserts, vegetables, cooked food, sandwiches, ice cream and a lot, lot more!

mercato centrale products

Here are some of the stuff that we bought:

  • Picole Healthy Ice Pops (Php 35)

mercato ice cream

I love popsicles!  When we saw this stall near the back entrance of Mercato, my mom already knew that I would love to buy one.  We chose the blueberry cheesake flavor which they call Yogu Pops.  Apparently, there are different nutritional facts in each kind of ice pops.  The one that we got has high calcium, low fat, fiber and low calories.  Healthy eating is the way to go!

  • Assorted Vegetables

mom at mercato

My mom, of course, was in the lookout for fresh vegetables to cook for me! 😀  There were lots in Mercato, that we ended up just buying and buying as we strolled around the place.

I also found this guy, in the photo below, interesting.  While my mom was buying vegetables from the neighboring stall, he was actually teaching my mom how to cook it hahaha!  I actually felt bad that I didn’t get to buy the free range chicken (Php 950) that he was selling.  It definitely looked delish but I have kept in mind the location of his farm which I plan to visit in the future.

mercato chicken

The name of the farm is Pamora and it is located in Abra.  They raise French breed free-range chickens, organic vegetables, fruits and other things.  There’s a guesthouse where we can stay for the night while being served with healthy food.  It’s so nice that aside from producing healthy products, they are also promoting tourism through the beauty of Abra.

  • Frullati Smoothies

mercato milk smoothie

The girl told me they offer delicious fruit smoothies which are made from natural ingredients.  I was curious.  Based on what we bought so far, I believe that whatever we buy in Mercato would be something worthwhile.  They put frozen buko cubes (lots of it) then poured milk (Milk Magic), I’m not that fond of milk but boy, it did taste so fresh & natural.

  • Chile Vitas Chile Cheese (Php 164) & Cropeck (Php 50)

chile vitas mercato

My favorite among the things that we bought today.  I tried all 4 flavors (Chile Cheese, Chile Mustard, Chile Pepper, Chile Vinegar) but I just couldn’t forget how delicious the Chile Cheese was.  We immediately bought one and also bought several packs of Cropeck.  I’m opening one now as I write this post 😛

  • Herbs Best Chips (3 for Php 200)

mercato snack

I am constantly looking for a healthy snack to munch on while I’m at the office.  when I saw this, I thought it was noodles.  Apparently, they also have noodles but the one for free taste were their snacks.  They have malunggay, luyang-dilaw, carrot, spicy tahong, ampalaya and carrot-kalabasa flavors.  We bought malunggay, ampalaya and spicy tahong.  I’ll surely enjoy eating this without feeling guilty.  My mom also bought the noodles.

  • Rawlicious Green Monster Xavier – 500 mL (Php 95)

healthy shake mercato

Another option for natural beverages.  The owner was very enthusiastic that I ended up buying even though I wasn’t planning to at 1st glance.  The different smoothies have their own good effect for our body.  The one that I bought is particularly good for digestion, in short, for detoxing.

  • Organic Balut/Organic Salted Egg (Php 15)

organic eggs mercator

Organic eggs!  I asked them what’s the difference between a normal egg and an organic egg.  I was told that the chicken was fed with only healthy and natural food thus the eggs that they put out were organic.  I believed them that’s why we bought several.

Whew!  Whatta morning!  I really enjoyed my experience.  It’s good to see sooo many selections of wonderful and healthy food.  Truly a haven for people like us who love to eat!

Roch at Mercato Centrale

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Mercato Centrale at BGC
Corner of 30th & 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
(0917) 531-8949

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