'Meals in a flash' archive

Lo mein in less than 15 minutes

… if there is no leftover stir fry, is there no other fast and easy way of cooking lo mein?

A month or so ago, my family went fish ball crazy. We’ve gotten tired of them now but it was a great food trip while it lasted. I’m not talking about the fish balls that are 99% flour and 1% MSG. I’m talking about the fish, shrimp, lobster, sharksfin and mushroom balls in various shapes and sizes that have become a staple in some supermarkets. I loved adding them to my soups and they are great with lo mein.

Pork and cabbage soup

Despite the convenience, I am not a fan of canned broth. I like broth cubes even less. I make my own broth from scrap bones and what I don’t need for whatever soup I am making, I strain, cool and keep in the freezer.

When you keep a substantial stock of meat broth in the freezer, making a delicious soup is as easy as 1-2-3. No kidding. It’s practically just cutting the meat and vegetables and throwing everything into the pot. Fast too. If you cut everything into small pieces, your soup is ready in 15 minutes or less.

Noodle soup with mushroom balls

They cost P375 per kilo but you can buy as little as 100 grams. I’m not a fan of processed food but my daughter, Sam, wanted crab balls and shrimp balls and I figured it wasn’t such a risk since we could only buy a hundred grams of each to try them out. Much more practical than buying the pre-packed brands. And since I can eat neither the crab nor shrimp balls, I ordered a hundred grams of mushroom balls as well… I placed them in a bowl with cooked noodles and vegetables and poured in hot home-made broth. Delicious!

The complete salad

We had enough leftover mac and cheese for lunch today but leftovers are hardly exciting unless recycled into a new dish or unless paired with something else. Unlike yesterday, I had a lot of options this time. I had just been to the supermarket and I was armed to the teeth with meats, seafood, cheeses and vegetables.

A salad would go nicely with the mac and cheese. By “salad”, I don’t mean those token servings of tasteless vegetables. I like my salad to be filling. And exciting. And tasty. No hospital food stuff. And no tasteless diet stuff either. I like salads with everything in it.

Tofu with three sauces… and cilantro

You like tofu? Fried tofu? So do I. But most Filipinos know only one way to enjoy their fried tofu (or tokwa as it is locally known) — as the other half of boiled pork in a dish called tokwa’t baboy, the traditional accompaniment for lugaw (congee). No doubt that fried tofu is great served that way but I like variety in the way I eat my tofu so I’m forever experimenting with what goes well with it.

But am I not supposed to be on a low fat diet? Why the heck am I eating fried tofu? I’ve invested in good quality non-stick cookware. Instead of deep-frying tofu, I fry the tofu cubes in a few tablespoonfuls of oil.

Salmon and tomato soup

We’re not fully operational yet in our new kitchen. Although the unpacking is almost done, we had been cooking on a borrowed “super kalan” for the past few days while waiting for the new cooking range to be delivered…

Not that we’ve been eating badly. It’s a pain cooking with one stove but we manage, believe me. For instance, for lunch yesterday, we had a delicious soup made with salmon head, fresh tomatoes and basil picked from the garden…

Gindara fillets in coconut cream

I intended to grill the gindara over the weekend. But I got up so late, forgot to thaw anything from the freezer overnight and the kids would be home for lunch. They spent the morning preparing for the school fair and we will all be there later in the afternoon. So, there I was, sipping my first cup of coffee for the day at 11.45 a.m. and the kids were due home in about 30 minutes… (Believe it or not) The kids were home no more than five minutes before lunch was ready.

Ikan Moolie (fish in coconut gravy)

Rich and spicy, this dish might look like fish curry but it isn’t. It has no curry powder although turmeric, one of the spices that make up curry powder, is an ingredient and responsible for the bright yellow hue. Any white fleshy fish can be used. I suggest tilapia, dory, river cobbler, snapper (maya-maya) or grouper (lapu-lapu). The fillets may be cooked whole or cut into smaller portions.

Cooking time is less than 30 minutes.

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House On A Hill

Fish & seafood

• Fish fillets with pepper and thyme
• Chili garlic shrimps with coriander paste and Kecap Manis
• Sweet and spicy talakitok in a flash
• Steamed pompano with ginger sauce
• Pasta with prawns in creamy garlic sauce
• Fried lapu-lapu with pineapple sauce
• Baked fish and spinach
• Fish croquettes
• Tuna belly fillets with garlic and rosemary
• Fish fillets in white wine

Superb soups

• Budget cooking, part 1 (macaroni soup)
• Fish head soup with coconut cream
• Beef, misua and upo soup
• Save the meat from the soup bones
• Chicken and misua soup, version 2
• Chunky Beef and Macaroni Soup
• Chicken soup for a rainy day
• Cock-a-leekie soup, Pinoy style
• Creamed broccoli and potato soup
• Clams and malunggay soup with coconut milk