Restaurant Tour – Valentines Buffet Restaurant

Valentines Buffet……………When I first saw this restaurant, I think they are only open for valentines or they are just preparing for valentines season. As I saw this in the mid of January.  But I am wrong, the restaurant name is valentines. They offer a european buffet and there are lots of entrees to choose from. It could be your favourite pasta, pizza’s, salad, grilled dishes and even roast beef and pork carvings. Plus a bonus of bunch of oysters. (that’s my wife favourite). The lunch buffet is much cheaper than the dinner buffet. Lunch buffet is only consist of half of the menu they offer during dinner buffet. Dine on your birthday and you’ll eat here free. Just ready your driver’s license or any proof of your birthdate. mUst try!!! Lunch is priced at around 25 dollar and dinner is 32 dollar. kids are priced at 1.50 per age. …… We might dine there because tomorrow will be my wife’s birthday. Happy Birthday Lea. I love you so much!!!!

They are located at:

View road corner wairau road, glenfield, auckland

Ph: 09 444 5150

Lomi Soup (noodle soup)

lomi soup…….It’s a noodle soup made with chicken and pork meats. Lomi is best eaten while steaming hot. It is a challenge to be able to finish eating before the bowl gets cold. Back home, you can find this dish in every small canteens usually served in breakfast or am snack. I remember everytime we go for a jogging or walking exercise to Quezon City Circle, There is a small caferia that offer this lomi soup. After burning lot of fats and calories, we always eat this full of carbohydrate meal as it is composed of noodles. (so whats the point of exercise). …………………..Did you know that eggs are used to make the sauce thick in this recipe. Eggs are number one source of protein and might be the cheapest source as well. Nutritionist says that 2 eggs a day is enough to fill all the proteins the body need during a day…….

Ingredients: (serves 4-6 persons)

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium minced onions
• 500 gms chicken (cut in small serving size)
• 100 gms chicken liver
• 300 gms pancit lomi
• 2 pcs eggs
• 1 tsp of salt / pepper
• 1 litre water or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup onion leeks
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic and onions, add chicken and liver and season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• add the rest of the vegetables and lomi, cook for another 5 minutes
• add chicken broth and adjust your taste by adding fish sauce
• Turn off heat and break in 2 pcs eggs and stir.
• serve hot!!

Canapes for kids

Canapes…………..usually a small open face sandwich or finger foods are best served for cocktail events. This finger foods is specially made for kids party. It’s a sausage and cheese canape’s especially prepared for children as it is made with hotdogs, cheese, ketsup and bread.  I think most of the children can not say no to hotdogs. Well, when I was a child, I can not say no to hotdogs. Can you?………………………Did you know that the main ingredients I used in this canapes are cheese. Cheese is food that is rich in calcium. Calcium is something that you need if you are going to have good, strong, healthy teeth. Cheese has been shown to reduce plaque and to stimulate saliva which helps to keep the mouth clean. If you dread going to the dentist because you don’t want to hear that your teeth are getting bad then you might want to think about how cheese can help you out! (Of course, you do still have to brush and floss!!)……………

Ingredients: can serve 8-10 kids

• 8 pcs of cocktail hotdogs (frank furter or kransky cheese)
• 1 cup grated cheese
• chopped parlsey
• 1 cup tomato ketsup
• 1 whole french or baguette bread

procedures:

• slice french bread around 15-20 pcs as thin as 1 cm.
• using your imagination, assemble all ingredients and bake at 160 degrees for 5 minutes
• Serve hot! pizza style!

Lumpiang Sariwa(fresh vegetable crepe)

lumpia………….Yes, we have our own version of crepe even though it is highly influenced by chinese cuisine. There are many versions of lumpia. It can be lumpiang toge (beansprout), lumpiang shanghai, lumpiang hubad and many more. But to all the “lumpia” I have mentioned, this is one of my favourite!………………Did you know that lumpiang sariwa is composed of lots of vegetables? one of these are lettuce leaves. This lettuce leaves is loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene. This nutrients helps in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol, which can reduce risk of stroke and heart attack. The folic acid found in this lettuce helps keep blood vessels healthy and clear, which also reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke……….

Ingredients: serves 6-8 persons

• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onions chopped
• 100 grams thinly sliced pork
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups bean sprout
• 1 small carrots julienne
• 100 grams green beans
• 1 small sweet potato (kamote) strips
• 1 cup cabbage jullienne
• 1 bunch of lettuce leaves

Procedures:

• In a teflon pan, heat oil and saute garlic and onion then add in pork. saute until brown the seasoned with salt and pepper. add in the rest of the vegetables except the lettuce leaves. then adjust taste by adding fish sauce.
• Set aside.

Wrapper:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup oil

Procedures:

• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth. adjust consistency by adding water little by little.
• In a small teflon pan, cook wrapper similar to pancake (just make it thin) use low heat setting. set aside

Sauce:

• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch dissolve in 1/2 cup water.
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:

• In a small sauce pan, boil water and add in soy sauce, sugar, vinegar then seasoned with salt and pepper. once boiling add in corn starch and remove from heat. (to have a shining effect-do not boil the mixture once you add corn flour) Set aside.

Garnishing:

• 4 cloves garlic minced
• chopped peanuts

Assembling:

• Using your creative imagination. Transfer a wrapper in plate, add in lettuce and  place the vegetable mix. wrap as shown in the picture above and pour in sauce and garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh garlic.
• Yummmmm!!!!

Sinigang na Ulo-Ulo(Fish Head Sour Soup)

A very popular dish specially for those people living nearby seas and oceans… For some people, they don’t consume fish head as they think it does not have enough meat inside. But for me, I find fish head very flavourful especially if you cook as s soup like this dish. I remember, I had a friend of mine back home, they owned a family business fast food with a branch every SM supermalls. They are just selling fish heads of different kinds, heads of salmon, snapper, king fish and many more.  If I can still remember their restaurant name is “sinigang na ulo-ulo”…………………………Did you know that fish contains a lot of omega 3 fatty acids or fish oil promote brain development? There are some studies that a pregnant women loves to eat a fish(which means lots of omega3 fatty acids or fish oil on her diet) had babies with higher IQs and fewer learning disorders, and were less likely to develop mental retardation or cognitive delays…………

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs  fish heads (preferably eel or snapper)
• 1.5 liters of water
• 1 medium onions (quartered)
• 2 tbsp of ginger slices
• 2 pcs of medium tomatoes (quartered)
• 4 pcs string beans (cut 2 inches approx)
• 1 bunch kangkong or bokchoy
• 5 pcs ocra
• 1 small raddish (sliced
• 1 pc of egg plant (sliced)
• 1 pck of sinigang mix sa miso (for 1.5 liter mix)

* please slice your vegetables evenly

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, boil water and onions & ginger then add fish and cooked for approx 5-10 minutes
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cooked for about 2-3 minutes and serve hot. Dont over cook veggies.
• serve with fish sauce with chillies on the side.
• Enjoy!!!!

Bbq Chicken Wings

bbq……..Who can resist a chicken barbecue? If you can, well I can’t!!!! Its my favourite! We, Filipinos loves to eat barbecue especially when there is a family or group outing, barbecue on the beach, on the park or even barbecue at hone. For me, the best part of chicken when it comes to barbecue is probably the “wings”. Aside from its easy to be cooked, I like deboning while eating it. Believe it or not, my little daughter can finished this chicken barbecue wings (yes, as shown on the picture) . How about you? Do you love barbecue?………………………. Did you know that chicken is rich in selenium, another antioxidant-rich nutrient. Selenium in chicken has been shown to induce DNA repair in damaged cells and eliminate abnormal cells. This nutrient also activates an important antioxidant vital in cancer prevention, known as glutathione peroxidase, from proteins. Consuming chicken may help in the prevention of cancers.

Ingredients: makes 12-15 skewers

• 1 kilogram chicken wings – cut in half
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sprite or soda
• 1 tbsp lemon or calamansi juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 vinegar
• 1 small shallots chopped
• 2 pcs chopped chillies
• 2 pcs minced garlic
• salt and pepper

Procedures:

• in a container, mix all ingredients except pork meat. mix well then add in chicken and rubbed evenly
• place 4 pcs of chicken wings meat on a skewer(bamboo stick should be soaked to water for at least 2 hours to prevent from burning)
• best marinate for atleast 3 hours before grilling. brush the remaining marinade mix upon grilling your bbq..
• Enjoy!!

Chicken and Papaya Soup

Chicken and papaya soup………….. When you feel sick or unwell due to some hangover, lack of sleep or even headache, I highly recommend you to have this dish. It is a soup made with papaya, ginger and chicken. This dish is considered to be a variation of a tinola (PHI chicken soup) as it is composed of garlic, ginger and onions……………………….Did you know that ginger has been known for its healing properties.    Fresh ginger juice if applied to minor burns as well as skin irritations provides immediate relief for some people where as ginger oil is used in spas and saloons for a perceived refreshing effect on one’s mind and a potential ability to reduce arthritic pain. Another is, Ginger can also be used for reducing toothache and the discomfort which arises due to the infection in the upper respiratory tract due to its antibacterial and antifungal nature.

Ingredients: good for 4-6 persons

• 12 pcs chicken wings
• 2 small ripe papaya
• 3 pcs large green chillies
• 1/2 cup of  ginger Julienne sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium white onions sliced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt and ground pepper
• 1 litre water

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion and ginger.  then add in chicken and saute for 10 minutes allowing the chicken flavor to come out. Season with salt and pepper
• add in water and boil and cook for about 15 minutes. then add in vegetables.
• Adjust taste by adding a fish sauce.
• Serve hot!

Adobong Kangkong (river spinach)

adobo……………Back in the Philippines, When we had a really tight budget and still want to eat a simple and great dish. We go for this dish. Just imagine a bundle of kangkong leaves( swamp cabbage or river spinach) is only priced at P5.00 or equivalent to 0.15 cents NZD you will have a health green leafy dish. Its a dish just flavoured with ingredients thats always present in our cup board, these are garlic, onion, soy sauce and salt and pepper. I think every kitchen has these type of ingredients……………………. Did you know that kangkong or river spinach. This plant is rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, carotene, sitosterol, protein, vitamins A, B1 and C and has a lot of health beneficial amino acids. Other pharmacological effects includes antitoxin, laxative, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, homeostatic and sedatives (sleeping effects). Water or river spinach has a good effect in the intestines as it has purgative properties because of its fiber content. It also acts as insulin-like properties to control blood sugar for diabetes prevention.

Ingredients: (serves 6-8 persons)

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 medium liced onions
• 3 bunches of kangkong
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 3 pcs dried chillies(optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• pinchof salt

Procedures:

• in a pan, heat oil and saute garlic and onions, add in kangkong seasoned with salt & pepper  and add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1 minute.
• serve hot!!

Ginataang Isda(Fish in coconut milk)

Ginataang Isda……………This is one of my wife’s favourite fish dish. Its a fish dish made with coconut milk with some spices individually wrap on mustard greens leaves to keep and hold the fish flavour until you opened it.  The taste would go for a little sour, salty and a bit of spicy as it is perfectly combined with vinegar and some chillies. To be honest, I am not a fan of coconut dishes, but the moment I tasted this simple dish, it is now one of my favourite meal as well………………………..Did you know that mustard greens provide a wide mixture of benefits, as an antioxidant, they contribute to lower risks for cancer and other degenerative diseases. Also, mustard greens are excellent at regulating your gastrointestinal tract. They can help to cure and prevent diarrhea and generally will aid you in staying regular. Mustard greens are good for your skin and hair, helping you to keep healthy skin and shiny, lustrous, strong hair. Additionally, they can be part of a wholesome diet that is designed to help you manage your weight. Mustard greens are low in calories and can therefore be consumed without fear of gaining weight………………..

Ingredients: serves 3-4 persons

• 1 whole fish preferably eel(sliced in serving size)
• 1 bunch mustard greens
• 3 green chillies
• 1 thumb size crushed ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium sliced onions
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Procedures:

• Individually wrap each fish in leaves of mustard greens (this is to avoid the fish to be broke)
• In a pan, heat oil and saute garlic, ginger and onion then add in coconut milk, water and salt and pepper
• place fish and boil for 5 minutes. then add the remaining mustard greens and the rest of the ingredients.
• simmer for another minute.
• Enjoy!

Dimsum – Pork and Spinach

Dimsum and damplings………………..One of my favourite dish when we go to chinese yum cha or dimsum and dampling house. I made my version larger than the usual dimsum or siomai size.  Its like triple the size! So believe me just 3 pcs of this siomai makes your stomach full.  To be honest, this siomai should better come with a wrapper, but since when I finished my siomai mixture and checked my fridge for a wrapper. Gosh, I don’t have any! Since it was 7:00 in the evening and most of the chinese-asian store are already closed, I don’t have any choice but to steam this as it is. (for your information, most of shops here in NZ closes at 6:00pm). So, I learned my mistakes that before you make any dishes, you need to carefully checked all the ingredients very well………………………..Did you know that the vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. and also by inhibiting the angiotensin I-converting enzyme, peptides within spinach have been shown to effectively lower blood pressure.

Ingredients: makes 30-35 ocs of dampling depending on your desired size

• 500 gms pork minces
• 1 bunch of spinach (slied 1 cm long)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 medium minced onions
• 1 tsp seasoning soy sauce
• 1 pc beaten egg
• 1/2 salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

* 35 pcs siomai wrapper

Procedures:

• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together, mix well.
• For a circle size and wrap over siomai wrapper. If you dont have any, just form a meatball size and place in a pate with flour sprinke.
• Steam for 20 minutes. serve with chilli sauce