Certified Foodies - A food blog by siblings Mhel and Ken

Certified Foodies Recipes

Strawberry Pork Sinigang Recipe

Recipe by Nanay Ghie

Ever since I wrote about Strawberry Sinigang after hearing about it from fellow bloggers, I’ve wanted to try it myself. So, it was actually part of our itinerary when we went on vacation to 5 destinations, including Baguio, last December. However, due to our very "tight" schedule, we scrapped visiting the restaurant that serves it. Thus, my mother swore to try to make her own version of it at home.

New addition to the Certified Foodies contributors - CertifiedFoodies.com

Before I go ahead with the Strawberry Pork Sinigang recipe, let me share with you how active my mother has been lately with this blog. Ever since the last quarter of 2010, my mother has been fully supportive of our food blog. In fact, she’s been really eager to share her recipes and have tried making her own homemade versions of dishes we tried from our trip and dining out. She now prefers to eat at a new restaurant when we go out. Also, she’s into designing or setting up the plates of food she prepares so they’ll look good on a photo. She would even make sure I get photos of food we order before eating. She’s now more patient. Amazing, huh? A stage mom, eh? :D

Strawbery Sinigang - plate setup by my mother LOL - CertifiedFoodies.com

So, it’s just fitting that I include her in the official contributors of this food blog. She’s got a ton of recipes to share. She’s an AWESOME cook. And I’m not saying that ’cause she’s my mother, but because she really is. That’s why it’s really hard to lose weight over here. My friends and everyone who have tried her dishes would agree with me 1,000%!

Strawberries my mother and I picked at Strawberr Farm in Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

Okay, enough intro. When we went to the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Baguio, we decided to pick strawberries ’cause my mother was determined to cook Strawberry Sinigang at home. So, most of the strawberries she picked were a li’l green.

Now, on to the recipe.



Very Easy Homemade Quesadilla with Salsa Recipe

I am a big fan of Mexican food. I remember back in college, my friend and I would usually have lunch at this small Mexican food joint near our school in Quezon City. I forgot the name of the place (I’ll update this post when I remember Update: The name of the place is Miggy’s! Thanks to my college lunch buddy Garet for remembering) , but I so love their Churros and Quesadilla.

I so miss Churros! - CertifiedFoodies.com

The owner makes a really mean salsa that complements their chicken quesadilla. I never forgot how it tasted. And since then, I was always open for an any-day meal at any Mexican restaurant I can find.

I’ve already tried Mexicali and Taco Bell. But, I’m going to try them again just so I can write something fresh about them. I remember Taco Bell’s Quesadilla and salsa being too bland for my taste, especially when I compare it to that Mexican joint I used to frequent in college.

A few weeks ago, I was really craving for some Mexican food and I wanted to try to make quesadillas at home. So, we scoured the Landmark supermarket in Trinoma to find the ingredients I need. Unfortunately, though, not all that I wanted was available but I made sure that the salsa ingredients were complete. For me, that’s the most important part of the whole quesadilla experience – the slightly bitter-sweet and spicy flavors of the salsa mixed with the bit of saltiness of the chicken and the cheese in the quesadilla.

Here’s my own recipe of the chicken quesadilla. It’s so simple, anyone can make it at home. I’m proud to say that I got the right flavors on my salsa that my brother and I forgot all about our limits. It was THAT good… well, for us. And I know you’re going to enjoy this, too.

Some may prefer guacamole or sour cream for their quesadilla. I love salsa though, but I’m going to try these other dips/sauces next time.

For the salsa, you can take out the cumin or garlic powder if you’re making this for your kids since they might not like these strong flavors.

Chicken Quesadilla with salsa - CertifiedFoodies.com

Chicken Quesadilla and Salsa Recipe



Creamy Pesto Pasta and Grilled Chicken – Recipe + Photos

I would never forget the very first time I had my taste of Pesto Pasta at Fazoli’s, Eastwood City. I was in elementary that time, and like most people my age, I hated herbs and vegetables. My sister and I had no idea what Pesto was back then, and because it sounded delicious, she ordered that for me. I didn’t enjoy any bit of it, but since it’s a bit expensive I tried with all my might to finish the whole plate. I even remember saying, "Lasang puno (It tastes like a tree)," and it made my sister laugh. So, I learned my lesson and made a mental note to avoid food that has anything to do with Pesto.

Fazoli's at Eastwood City, Libis - Photo from shootdelay.juddstamaria.com - CertifiedFoodies.comImage credit: Shootdelay

But weird as it may seem, I think maturing into an adult is accompanied by a huge change with food palatability. We realize that vegetables aren’t that bad tasting after all, and that our food choices no longer fall under just two taste categories – sweet and salty. There is now the delectable bitter, the sour, or the hot/spicy (though technically spicy is not a flavor or taste. It’s a sensation. Try putting chili on your tongue and on your lip/skin. They experience the same thing – heat.)

World Chicken - CertifiedFoodies.com

Moving forward. As I started exploring the whole variety of flavors I could experience in the world, I found "Pesto" once again. This time, it’s not on a chalkboard menu at Fazoli’s, but on a backlit display of World Chicken at TriNoma Mall, Quezon City. The food adventurer inside me took over, and soon I had a plate with a whopping serving of Pesto Cream Pasta, Potato Salad, and Grilled Chicken with Ranch Barbecue Sauce. If we were not inside a mall, I’d lick my whole plate clean because I was sure I had a taste of heaven. From then on, I would always opt for Pesto Cream Pasta, and even influencing my other friends to give it a try. They loved it.

I had many failed attempts on making Pesto Cream before. Not that I don’t have the skill to make it, but because I found the ingredients to be a bit pricey. So a big thanks to my sister, Mhel, for shouldering the expenses as a gift on my birthday, and to my friend, Katrina Castro, for giving me the idea.

Creamy Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken - CertifiedFoodies.com

Let’s start with the Basil Pesto. I made this the day before my birthday because I thought it would take hours to finish, but in less than 20 minutes I was done.



Cebu Style Pork Steamed Rice in Manila – Recipe + Photos

Everytime I go home to Cebu (fyi, I’m a pure Cebuana), I always see to it that I get to eat at Harbour  City Dimsum. One of their most popular, and my favorite, dish is their Pork Steamed Rice. For me, they serve the best steamed rice in Cebu! They also serve the best dimsum I’ve had in my life. Seriously!

We’ve actually tried finding a place here in Manila where they serve Steamed Rice cooked just like in Cebu. But, so far, we haven’t found any Chinese restaurant that serves it (if you know of one, let me know at the comments section!).

  Harbour City's Steamed Rice - Photo from Openrice.com - CertifiedFoodies.com
  Steamed Rice from Harbour City Dimsum
(Photo credit: Open Rice)
 

So, just like with any other dish I crave for, I decided to make it at home and serve it the same way Harbour City Dimsum does. And, I’m sharing my homestyle recipe with you.




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