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

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