Maggi Magic Meals' Bicol Express

Have you seen the commercial where the wife comes home and whips up Bicol Express for dinner without changing out of her pretty dress?  It's been airing a lot lately and that catchy jingle has been stuck in my head as if urging me to just cook it already!  Maggi Magic Meals' Bicol Express Recipe Solutions has been sitting in our pantry for several weeks but it was just recently that we had pork belly (liempo) and baguio beans at the same time.

Pork Afritada

My tried and tested afritada recipe which I use for chicken or pork.  I adapted this from a Nora Daza cookbook but I don't note down the exact measurements.  I just adjust it to suit my tastebuds.

Burgers with Mushrooms and Gravy

Here's another version of the Burgers with Mushroom Gravy recipe from a few months ago.  I served them with a salad of lettuce, carrots and cucumbers with store bought blue cheese dressing or garlic ranch dressing.

Pork Chopsuey

Instead of cooking vegetables and then a meat dish, I decided to add pork pieces to my vegetable dish.  One pot meals mean less stuff to wash too.

Eggplants in Pizza Sauce

I know I have to work on my food styling skills.  This may look like an ugly blob but it tasted surprisingly good for an experimental dish.  Even good enough for my mother in law to tell other people about it!

Ma Po Tofu

Sick and tired of that crunchy breaded tofu?  Try this spicy meaty tofu dish.  

Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Breading Mix

The Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Breading Mix is a constant staple in our pantry.  We always stock up on all 3 flavors -  Original, Garlic and Spicy.  

A quick and easy way to prepare crispy fried chicken.  All you have to do is wash and drain the chicken, coat evenly with Crispy Fry and then deep fry until golden brown.  For best results, you can put the chicken and breading mix in a container and shake them well.  Sometimes I dip the chicken in a bowl with a beaten egg, then roll it in the breading mix before deep frying.     

Although the photo on the sachet is of chicken drumsticks, it also works well with tofu, pork chops, fish fillets and chicken fillets.  It packs in a lot of flavor that you don't need to add anything else.          

Last week we had some crispy garlic pork chops served with a salad on the side and a bowl of creamy instant soup.

Burgers with Mushroom Gravy

I whipped up some burgers to go with some instant mashed potatoes and asparagus fried in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Pork Kare Kare

A great way to enjoy kare kare minus the oxtail (my least favorite part of this dish).  I can eat rice with sauce and just bagoong (shrimp paste).