Turon con Langka Espesyal

Special Banana Springrolls with Sweetened Jackfruit

Turon con Langka Espesyal

Have you been craving for something deliciously sweet lately? Try our version of Turon con Langka Espepyal! (Special Banana Springrolls with Sweetened Jackfruit)

It is a sweet dessert that is famous in the Philippines typically made with banana, brown sugar and spring roll or lumpia wrappers. The variety of banana used for turon is called saba which is very common in the Philippines. If you are not familiar with this banana variety and would like to google it, it is otherwise known as the cooking banana or Cardaba banana. Click HERE for more info on saba banana from Wikipedia. It is usually available at Asian Stores.

Because it is cheap to make and of its good taste, turon are among the popular street foods here in the Philippines. With just 5 pesos, you can already buy 1 roll from street vendors!

If you are a Filipino, I guess you would understand me if I say that street foods are delicious, tipid (frugal) and fun! But one issue that I have to point out though with streetfood is cleanliness. There are a number of illnesses that we can get from improper food preparation and some might land us a trip to the hospital. My point is, be a little cautious when buying.

Anyway, the good news is, turon are very easy to make so if you don't want to buy from street vendors, you can always prepare it yourself. You can even prepare it and store some for another day. I will share a simple tip for better storage, later.

This recipe of turon is my mom's version. I remember how delicious and mouth-watering the turons are from UST canteen and my mom tried to copy them and this is now our version.

INGREDIENTS:
- 20 pcs lumpia (spring roll) wrappers
- 10 pcs saba banana (saging saba)
- brown sugar
- 1 cup raw
jackfruit (langka) cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 cup water
- Vanilla extract for flavoring (optional)
- 2 cups cooking oil

STEPS:
1. First things first so we have to cook the jackfruit before everything else. In a small pot, put the water, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 2 drops of vanilla extract and mix well then add in the jackfruit strips. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid getting burnt. Let the liquid turn syrupy or slightly thickened and allow the jackfruit to absorb the flavor. Remove from heat and cool down.
2. Cut each banana into halves, lengthwise.
3. Now for the wrapping part, place one banana slice at the center of the lumpia wrapper. Spread 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the banana and add 2 strips of sweetened langka.
4. Fold the wrapper over the banana, tuck in the sides and roll. Close the edge of the wrapper with water.
5. Once done with the wrapping, heat the oil in a deep frying pan.
6. Fry about 4 to 5 banana rolls and wait until slightly brown.
7. Scoop 1 tbsp of brown sugar and pour onto the frying rolls. Do not mix it. Just wait for it to caramelize. Once it turns into a caramel, flip the rolls to let coat them with caramelized sugar.
8. Drain excess oil then they are ready to be served.

Now, earlier I mentioned about a little tip for storage. What we do is to skip the part where we put sugar, during the wrapping (step 3). If you plan to prepare ahead, just do not put sugar on them while wrapping. The problem is that when sugar is added, they will become sticky and destroy the wrappings so skipping that part lets you prepare them beforehand. Then when you want to fry them, just add sugar during this part (step 7).

So I hope you enjoy this and let me know how yours went. Happy eating!

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my post? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome and appreciated! Or if you'd like to request a recipe, please let me know. Thanks!


TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, Panlasang Pinoy, Pampanga, Lutong Kapampangan, Budget friendly, Cooking Tips, Pampanga's Best, Recipe, Pampanga Cuisine, Cook from Pampanga, Philippines, Asian Food, Pinoy Food, Streetfood, Dessert, Turon, Langka

Homemade Tacos

Today, I will be sharing how to make homemade, delicious Mexican Tacos.

This is yet again another favorite for me. This is our own version of the famous mexican classic, a delicious Mexican food that is flavorful and spicy that's guaranteed to satisfy your appetite.

The ingredients that we used are pocket-friendly without sacrificing the taste and quality. For example, instead of taco shells that can be bought from the market, we used lumpia wrappers. The lumpia wrappers are cheaper but equally crunchy and good tasting.

What's more is that it's guilt free! You can have big servings of it and you don't need to feel guilty about it. It's low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Good for our health, our tastebuds and our tummy, too! Hope you'll like it!


INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole cabbage
- 10 pcs slightly ripened tomatoes
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 180g pack cheddar cheese, grated
- 20 pcs lumpia wrapper
- 1/2 cup cooking oil

For the Taco Meat:
- 1/2 kilo ground pork or beef (I only used pork)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp atsuete powder
- 4 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp taco mix
- salt and pepper, to taste

For the Taco Sauce:
- 500 mL water
- 1/2 cup sweet and spicy banana ketchup (UFC)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- pinch of salt, to taste
- chili powder (optional only and adjust according to desired spiciness)


STEPS:
1. Mix well all the ingredients for the taco sauce in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Set aside.
2. Slice the cabbage thinly. The thinner, the better [as shown in the picture at the right]. Set aside. Note: I like the cabbage better than the lettuce because of its taste and crunchiness but you may use lettuce.

3. Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes as displayed in the pictures. Set aside.
4. Next, we will saute the taco meat but first, we need to dissolve the atsuete powder in 4 tbsp water, set aside. In a medium skillet, heat the oil then fry the garlic into golden brown. Add the onions and let it caramelize then add the ground pork, atsuete mix, taco seasoning then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until well done. Set aside.
5. In this step, we will fry the lumpia wrappers so that they will resemble the commercially available taco shells. I like to prepare the wrappers at the last part, just before serving the tacos, because I want them really crunchy. In a frying pan, heat about 4 tbsp of oil over low heat only because the wrappers cook very quickly. Using your kitchen tongs, hold half of the wrapper upward while letting the other half fry flattened in the pan, until golden brown. Then turn the wrapper so that you will be holding the fried half and curve it at a 45 degree angle and let the other half fry flat into a golden brown. When done, place in a drying rack to drain excess oil. Continue doing this until you are done with the 20 wrappers.
6. Now, all that's left to do is assemble the tacos! Get one taco shell, put 2 spoonfuls of cabbage at the bottom, 1 tbsp each of cucumber and tomatoes, 2 tbsp of taco meat then top with cheese. Serve with sauce on the side.

Tadaaah! And that is our homemade version of the famous tacos. It's quick, easy on the pocket and delicioso!

So I hope you enjoy this and let me know how yours went. Happy eating!

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my post? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome and appreciated! Or if you'd like to request a recipe, please let me know. Thanks!


TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, Panlasang Pinoy, Pampanga, Lutong Kapampangan, Budget friendly, Cooking Tips, Pampanga's Best, Recipe, Pampanga Cuisine, Cook from Pampanga, Philippines, Asian Food, Pinoy Food, Mexican Food, Homemade

PRC Registration Renewal at SM City Pampanga

Hello! How are you? Today, my post is not about cooking or recipes. I just want to share my experience with my PRC ID renewal recently at SM City Pampanga hoping to help our fellow PRC ID holders by giving an idea on the renewal process.

My license was supposed to be renewed in late 2012 but since I was pregnant with our first baby then, I did not want to travel too far to Manila (since I am from Pampanga). Anyway, to cut the story short, 2014 came and I still haven't renewed my PRC License. Because of the long travel, the fact that I did not know how to commute to and from PRC (Opo, maliligaw ako sa Maynila. Promdi lang. Lol!), the long lanes at PRC, and most specially my little girl, I really could not go to Manila because it was too inconvenient for me.

Thankfully, last January, my tita (aunt), who is also a professional, informed me that the Business Center at SM City Pampanga is already accepting and processing PRC ID Renewal. Thank God!!! I mean how convenient right? It was so time and energy saving and moneywise, too! So at the soonest time possible, I went to SM City and finally got my ID processed for renewal.

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                  Click Here For My Latest Blog

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Just in case you asked, the SM Business Center is located near Tom's World, Toy Kingdom, Partyland, Our Home, etc and beside Enfant (if I remember it clearly). I am not sure though if the Business Center inside the department store is also accepting PRC renewal transactions.

Anyway, I arrived at the business center at around 10 in the morning and thankfully, I was their first customer. The manong guard assisted me and I was asked to fill up the PRC Form and attach a picture with it that conforms to the PRC requirements. (Important Reminder: Come to the business center wearing something with collar. This is for picture purposes.) Since I did not bring a picture with me, I went to Tronix (located at the 3rd level) and it took me around 15 minutes only to get my pictures done and cost me Php60. Just tell them that your picture would be for PRC renewal, with name tag, and they'll know what to do.

Application Form (Click to view larger image) or
you may download it here.

After I got my pictures, I went back to the SM Business Center, filled up the application form correctly, attached my photo and went to the transaction counter. They asked for my old PRC License (the card itself and not a photocopy) , got my application form and encoded it to their computer. At this point, I was asked to stand in front of their camera because they would need to take my picture for the ID. I asked them how come they asked me to attach a picture in the application form and the lady said that it was for "back up" purposes only, in case the photo that they captured will not be accepted by PRC Main Office. Note that I have mentioned previously that you should come to the Business Center wearing something with collar and this is what it was for.

Now, the fee for renewal alone is Php 450. If your ID is not expired, you would only have to pay 450 pesos plus SM's transaction fee of PHP 50. But since mine was expired for 15 months, I had to pay a penalty of around 25 pesos per month that my registration have lapsed. So overall, I paid the amount of Php 860 (810 for PRC Fees amd 50 for SM fees).

After my payment, the lady showed me the confirmation that my transaction was successful and returned my expired card, asked to keep my receipt and claim slip for claiming the card. All-in-all the transaction at the Business Center took less than 15 minutes only. Whew!

Normally, it would take 30 to 40 business days before the PRC ID can be claimed unless there would be a problem with the delivery, like what happened to mine. So anyway, it's Holy Week already and I would have to check mine by next week and update this blog soon.




UPDATE:
SM CITY Pampanga no longer processes PRC Registration Renewal. However, PRC has a new office located at the ONE STOP PROCESSING CENTER inside Clark.

Please click on the link below to read my latest article. ⇩⇩⇩

Click Here For My Latest Blog On:
PRC Registration Renewal in Clark

Let me know how yours went! :)

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my post? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome and appreciated! Thanks!


TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, SM City, Pampanga, PRC ID, PRC Renewal, PRC Registration, Philippines

Creamy Mango Cooler

Hello! How's are you feeling this summer? Here in the Philippines, summer officially started just a week ago but the heat is already like "whoah!!!" Lol.

Anyway, instead of feeling irritated because of the heat, we tried to squeeze the fun out of the season and just let things cool down with summer activities such as swimming! My little girl just loves it!

Here in Pampanga, we have beautiful resorts. We have our own version of Boracay named PORACAY which has white sand also. This is located in Porac, Pampanga, hence its name. We also have Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino, Villa Alfredo's Resort (which is a paradise!) and Villa Antonina's among the many others. Maybe I will write a seperate blog on this topic because we sure have a lot of resorts here. What better way to cool down than to swim, eh?

So anyway, speaking of cooling down, today, we were kinda craving for halo-halo. But then we were just too lazy to go out of our way to buy the ingredients from the market so instead, we went to a grocery nearby and found gulaman (gelatin; jelly) and mango flavored pearl powder. An idea popped out of my mind and so we bought one of each plus one can of evaporated creamer and went home. And the rest is history. Lol!

Of course, halo-halo will always be delicious. But then if you want to try something new, something frugal (tipid) and something easier to make then I suggest the Creamy Mango Cooler. It's refreshingly cool!


INGREDIENTS:
- 1 15g pack gulaman (gelatin/ jelly) powder, clear or yellow color
- 1 ripe mango cheek, flesh cut into small chunks (optional)
- mango flavored pearl or juice powder
- 500 mL water (about 2 cups)
- 1/3 cup evaporated creamer
- 5 tbsp table sugar
- ice
- rice crispies

STEPS:
1. Dissolve the gelatin according to instructions, add mango chunks and 2 tbsp sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness), mix well then cook as instructed. Once set, cut into 1 inch strips. Set aside.
2. In a blender, put 2 cups water, 4 tbsp mango powder, 1/3 cup evaporated cleamer, mango chunks, 3 tbsp sugar and 2 cups ice. Blend well into a smoothie.
3. Pour into a glass, top with mango gelatin and rice crispies. Then it's ready to be served!

Creamy. Delicious. Refreshing. Easy to make. Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

So I hope you enjoy this and let me know how yours went. Happy summer!

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my post? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome and appreciated! Or if you'd like to request a recipe, please let me know. Thanks!

TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, Panlasang Pinoy, Pampanga, Kapampangan, Budget friendly, Cooking Tips, Pampanga's Best, Recipe, Cook from Pampanga, Philippines, Asian Food, Pinoy Food, Summer, Hot Weather, Thirst Quencher, Samalamig, Mango

Egg-Stuffed Meatballs with Cream Sauce

Hi there! So this recipe that I will share is one of my party favorites. I like to serve them at the buffet table for parties or simple family gatherings because they taste great and look so good on the table. And easy to prepare, too!

If you are planning for a party and you're wondering what to serve, I would definitely recommend this recipe. Or if you are just looking for a new dish to try at home, then this is definitely a must try. This is something different from the meatballs that we normally see or eat. Here goes the recipe and I hope you will like it.


INGREDIENTS:
- 12 Hard-boiled chicken eggs, peeled
- 1/2 kl ground pork
- 1/4 kl shrimp, peeled then finely chopped
- 4 pcs sweet ham, finely chopped
- 1 whole raw chicken egg
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp powdered milk (I like to use Bear Brand but of course, you may use your preferred brand)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or flour, whichever is available
- cooking oil (around 1/2 cup, it mostly depends on the type of skillet you are using)

For Cream Sauce:
- 1 pack Nestle All Purpose Cream (250 ml)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated quickmelt cheese (or ordinary cheddar cheese will do)
- 3 tbsp flour
- pinch of salt


STEPS:
1. In a large bowl, put in the ground pork, chopped shrimp, ham, carrots, onion, raw egg, powdered milk, salt and pepper.
2. Add in 2 tbsp of cornstarch (or flour). Using your clean hands, mix the ingredients well. If the mixture is still moist, add in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch at a time until the mixture is sticky enough and can hold their shape once we fry them. What I like to do, just to make sure that they will maintain their shape once fried is to scoop 1 tbsp from the mixture, form into a ball and fry it. If this sample goes well, then you can proceed to the next step. You can also taste it to check if you are already satisfied with the salt and pepper. Then put adjustments as necessary.
3. Once the mixture is ready, divide the mixture into 12 equal parts.
4. Get 1 hard-boiled egg and get 1 part from the meat mixture then wrap the meat around the egg so that it would envelope the egg. Set aside then continue doing this until you are done with the twelve.
5. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium fire. Now, the amount of oil that you will need depends on the type of pan you have. The idea is to have it around 1 centimeter deep. It is also important to make sure that the oil is hot enough before frying the meatballs so they will not Astick and fall apart.
6. Put the meatballs in, do not over crowd. Fry each side until brown then turn until all sides are done and the meat is brown all over. Place in a draining rack or over a paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside.
7. Put a saucepan over low heat then add the butter. Toss in the flour and cook, stirring until it has mixed well with the butter.
8. Add in the milk, salt and grated cheese then bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid getting burnt under. Continue boiling until the cheese melts.
9. Add in the all purpose cream and let it boil again before removing from heat.

Egg-Stuffed Meatballs with Cream Sauce

And that's it. The egg-stuffed meatballs may be served as it is but I like to slice them into halves because they are more appealing when served this way. Just make sure though that you're slicing them with a sharp knife to avoid ruining their beautiful shape. Arrange on the platter and serve with the Cream Sauce.

So I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know how it went. Happy eating!

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my article? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome! Or if you'd like to request a recipe, please let me know. Thanks!


TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, Panlasang Pinoy, Pampanga, Lutong Kapampangan, Budget friendly, Cooking Tips, Party Ideas, Pampanga's Best, Recipe, Pampanga Cuisine, Cook from Pampanga, Philippines, Asian Food, Pinoy Food, Eggs, Meatball, Fried, Cream Sauce,

Squash and String Beans in Coconut Milk

(Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw )

How are you doing today? If you'll ask me, well my tummy is super happy. I have been craving for ginataang kalabasa and sitaw (Squash and String Beans in Coconut Milk) for days and finally, my craving was satisfied today. Let's just say it was so delicious that I had more than 1 serving of rice and let's not get into further details with that, please. Lol!

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw 

Let me share the top 3 reasons why I think you should try this recipe. First, it's good for our health. Kalabasa (yellow squash) is rich in beta carotene that helps in repairing cells damaged by free radicals while sitaw (string or snap beans) is high in fiber that helps regulate bowel movements and lower cholesterol. And these are just a few of the many benefits of these vegetables. Coconut milk or gata, on the other hand, is also rich in vitamins and minerals that aid in bone health and prevent anemia. Secondly, this recipe is easy on the pocket because I only used dilis or dried anchovies and shrimp paste instead of pork and shrimp. And last and certainly not the least, is its palatable taste. The rich flavor of the coconut milk and squash mixed together with the saltiness of the anchovies and shrimp paste, all blended well into a sumptuous creamy flavor that just leaves you craving for more. It's just mmm.. mmm.. Gooood!

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced thinly
- 1 to 2 tbsp shrimp paste (please adjust accordingly to taste as some pastes are too salty or )
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup dilis (dried anchovies)
- 2 pcs long chili peppers (siling pang sinigang), cut into 1 cm long
- 1 bunch string beans or sitaw, cut into 2 inches long
- 1/4 kalabasa, cut into 1x1 inch squares
- 1 cup thick coconut milk or gata (pure)
- 1 tsp black pepper, fine ground


STEPS:
1. Heat the large skillet over medium fire and toast the dried anchovies or dilis, stirring frequently until crispy. (Note: Do not put oil). Remove from skillet then set aside.
2. In the same cooking pan, heat the oil then saute the garlic and onion.
3. When the onions are caramelized, add in the shrimp paste and cook well. You may use either sauted shrimp paste or not and please adjust the amount of paste you will use, according to taste.
4. Add in the water and bring to a boil. It is important to let the water boil first before adding the vegetables so that the vegetables will retain their fresh colors.
5. Once boiling, put in the string beans, squash and chili peppers. Add in the ground pepper. Bring to a boil and do not cover. Again, I advice against covering because it destroys the color of the vegetables. Stir occasionally to ensure that the vegetables are all cooked evenly. Let it simmer until the vegetables, specially the string beans, are halfway done.
6. Drop the anchovies in and add the coconut milk. Bring to a boil once more, stirring occasionaly; let it simmer for a minute and then turn off the stove.

Note: I like my string beans cooked just enough so that they are still crunchy and snappy. Keep in mind that even after you remove it from the heat, the vegetables will continue cooking from its steam. But if you'd like yours to be well cooked, you may extend your simmering time accordingly.
And we are done! The best part, of course, is the taste test.

So I hope you enjoy this and let me know how yours went. Happy eating!

I'd like to hear from you! What do you guys think about my post? Your comments and suggestions are very much welcome and appreciated! Or if you'd like to request a recipe, please let me know. Thanks!


TAGS: Between You and Cherry, Cherry Yutuc, Panlasang Pinoy, Pampanga, Lutong Kapampangan, Budget friendly, Cooking Tips, Pampanga's Best, Recipe, Pampanga Cuisine, Cook from Pampanga, Philippines, Asian Food, Pinoy Food