Spicy Garlic Prawn & Avocado Fettuccine

July 3, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! So once again, I’ve been feeling a little under the weather since towards the end of last week. I think it’s because I got rained (drizzled) on and just been feeling cold ever since. Started with an itchy throat, then a runny nose. I had a mild fever just two days ago but thank goodness I’m starting to feel a little better! Apologies in advance if this post contains a lot of typos or obvious grammatical errors – my brain is not fully functional at the moment.

But that aside, a new month can only mean one thing right? It’s time to experiment and play around with a new fruit on the blog! For the month of July, I’ll be featuring one of my favourite (well to be honest, almost everything is a favourite of mine *cheeky grin*) fruits of all time – Avocado! The last time I featured a month of avocado recipes was back in 2017 if not mistaken. You can click here to see what I got up to with avocados back then.

Avocados can be such an unpredictable b*tch at times – you can never win with them! If I knew I was going to cook/use the avocados on the same day I bought them, I would ask the lady who sells them if the ones I’ve picked are ripe and ready for that day. I still pick those that are slightly firm when gently squeezed. I never ever pick the soft ones! If I knew I was going to only use them the next day, she’d pick the ones that are a little less ripe for me – those that are still green, slightly browned. Here are some tips from Love One Today on how to check for the ripeness of avocados.

Besides being super unpredictable, avocados are known for several proven health benefits:

Avocados are Incredibly Nutritious

They contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals. Here is a list of some of the most abundant nutrients found in a single 100-gram serving:

Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value
Folate: 20% of the daily value
Vitamin C: 17% of the daily value
Potassium: 14% of the daily value
Vitamin B5: 14% of the daily value
Vitamin B6: 13% of the daily value
Vitamin E: 10% of the daily value
Avocados also contain small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous, and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin).
Although avocados contain carbs, 78% of those are fibre. So basically only 22% are actually carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food.
Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat.

Fat Content in Avocados may help you Absorb Nutrients from Plant Foods

When it comes to nutrients, your intake is not the only thing that matters. What’s also important is that you need to be able to absorb these nutrients into your body, where they can be used. Some nutrients are fat-soluble, meaning that they need to be combined with fat in order to be utilised.

So, not only are avocados highly nutritious, they can dramatically increase the nutrient value of other plant foods that you eat. This is all the more a very good reason to always include a healthy fat source, such as the avocado (or avocado oil), when you eat your veggies. Without it, a lot of the beneficial plant nutrients will go to waste.

Avocados are Loaded with Powerful Antioxidants that can Protect your Eyes

Not only do avocados increase antioxidant absorption from other foods, they are also high in antioxidants themselves, two of which, namely carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, as incredibly important for our long term eye health.

Eating Avocados may help you Lose Weight

Avocados are weight-loss friendly. They keep you full longer and may help you naturally eat fewer calories, making it easier for you to stick to healthy eating habits. As stated before, avocados are also high in fibre and very low in carbs, two attributes that should help promote healthy weight loss – if considering the context of a healthy, real-food-based diet.

And lastly for the #avocadohaters *cheeky grin*

Avocados are Delicious and Easy to Incorporate into your Diet!

Not only are they beneficial to our health, they’re also super delicious and go with many types of food. They have a creamy, rich, and fatty texture. You can easily add them to salads or pasta, spread them on toast, use as a dip for chips, or simply scoop them out with a spoon and eat them plain!

If you want to read up more on the many health benefits that avocados have to offer, you can head on over to Healthline.

But before you head on over to the recipe below, please check out the original recipe for Shrimp & Avocado Pasta by Kevin & Amanda.

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 10-12 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

For the avocado and Parmesan ‘sauce’

1 medium-sized ripe avocado
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the spicy garlic prawns

250g large tiger prawns, heads removed, deshelled, and deveined*
30g unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks scallions, chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground chilli, or more if you want it spicier
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

250g fettuccine pasta, uncooked**
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1 small ripe avocado, diced
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

*A quarter kilo gave us 4 large tiger prawns, plus 1 extra because the lady who sells them was nice enough to add one in when my Mom asked for it *cheeky grin*. Save the heads and shells to use as a base for soups, broths, or sauces. If not using immediately, place in a zip-lock bag and pop it into the freezer. Keeps frozen for up to 3 months.

**Or you can use any type of pasta – whatever you have readily available in your pantry!

METHOD

Avocado ‘Sauce’: Cut the medium-sized avocado in half, lengthwise. Remove the pit and discard – or if you have a green thumb, you’ll know what to do with it. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from both halves of the avocado from its skin, and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil. Smash and mix together until well combined. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with a teaspoon of sea salt to a boil. Add the fettuccine pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.

Tip: In cases like these, I like to undercook my pasta by 2 to 3 minutes. The reason being is that I will then add the cooked pasta to the frying pan of garlic prawns, which will continue to cook the pasta. If I had pushed it to the max when boiling, I’ll end up with super soft pasta.

Spicy Garlic Prawns: While the pasta is cooking away, add the butter and olive oil to a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until golden brown and fragrant.
Add the prawns and cook until they turn pink, about 2 minutes per side, then add the chopped scallions and ground chilli. Mix to combine.
Quickly add the pasta from the pot of boiling water, to the garlic prawns, followed by the avocado sauce. Give it a good mix and then throw in the sliced sun-dried tomatoes.
Turn the heat off and let it cook for a further minute before plating up.
Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with the diced avocados. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tip: The nutrients in avocado can oxidise and turn brown soon after cutting into it and exposing its flesh. The trick to slowing down the oxidation process and preventing them from browning quickly is to add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Now, this may not be one of the prettiest dishes I’ve plated up for the year – I don’t know, I just don’t like how the colour of the diced avocados blended in with the colour of the pasta. The green didn’t quite pop out as much as I would’ve liked it to. Besides the prawns, everything else looked a bit monotonous in my opinion. Nonetheless, despite its look, it was a great tasting dish! I mean, you honestly can’t go wrong with the classic taste of garlicky and lemony prawns can you? What more when it’s paired with pasta and a creamy avocado and parmesan sauce? And that added kick of spice? BOOM!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Amcarmen’s Kitchen: Auguest Rundown

June 27, 2019June 12, 2020 amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone! I just thought that I’d give an update regarding my Auguest series on Amcarmen’s Kitchen. The last I gave and introduction on this was back in 2015 and realised that the mechanics that I mentioned in that post is totally different on how I have been approaching Auguest for the past years.

Before I begin, let’s start off with a nutshell summary of what Auguest is really all about – other than the obvious spelling mistake. For starters, it’s not a spelling mistake. The funny thing is that since I started this ‘Auguest’ series, I’ve completely forgotten how to spell August the correct way. Every time I have to write or type August, my mind automatically inclines me to spell is as Auguest. So why Auguest? Basically, guest bloggers and/or foodies will be taking over Amcarmen’s Kitchen for the month of August – Au-guest.

Polvorón Pops (Popvoróns) by Jialing Mew, ‘Back to your Roots’ Auguest 2015.

The idea for the series was based on a famous YouTube celebrity known as Tyler Oakley. If you don’t already know him, you can look him up on YouTube, especially his ‘Auguest’ collaboration videos. In a nutshell, he started something known as ‘Auguest’ back in 2013 where for everyday (maybe just weekdays I can’t remember) in August, he uploads collaborations with other well-known YouTubers. So therefore, my idea will be based on the concept of featuring other foodie friends and/or food bloggers and have them guest blog on Amcarmen’s Kitchen every year for the month of August.

So with saying that, I gather my foodie friends (both old and new faces) to submit their recipes based on the theme for the year, to share with everyone some new ideas and techniques that they may have. We all come from different parts of the world, so it’s good to see what can be made out of ingredients that we may not be familiar with! And that’s basically it.

Quinoa Black Bean Tacos by Diandra Cappelut, ‘Yes Ve Gan!’ Auguest 2016.

Here are some frequently asked questions that have popped up over the years, and I’ll be sharing the answers with you (for those I have approached and/or for those who are interested on hopping onboard, for this year and the succeeding years to come) in case you have these questions floating on your mind as well:

FAQ #1: Do I need to have a (food) blog to be able to participate?

No you don’t! Many of the Auguesters that have been featured on Amcarmen’s Kitchen in the past do not have blogs. Though to qualify, you must at least have a passion for cooking and/or food. Creativity is also amiable.

FAQ #2: Are there any restrictions as to what I can cook?

There are no particular restrictions, as long as you stick to the theme for the year! You can cook up a savoury or sweet storm, for any meal of the day. The only time where restrictions may be applicable is if the theme itself is restrictive, i.e. for Yes Ve Gan! back in 2016, of course you won’t be able to cook with animals and their by-products, but other than that, you can let your creativity run wild! Also, try to avoid dishes that I’ve already covered on my blog, unless you’re going to do your own take on it.

FAQ #3: How many recipes will I need to submit?

Ideally, you will only need to submit ONE (1) recipe. However there are times where I may need you to submit two (2) just because of the number of participating Auguesters being less than what would allow me to feature at least two (2) recipes a week for Auguest. Don’t worry! If I need you to submit two recipes, I will inform you in advance to give you ample time to get your creative juices flowing and submit your recipes on time.

Blueberry Cheesecake Tarts (Gluten Free) by Simon Swaddling, ‘Blood Pressure Friendly’ Auguest 2017.

FAQ #4: How will I know when my recipe will be posted?

A month before August creeps up on us, I’ll inform you of when I have scheduled your recipe to be uploaded on Amcarmen’s Kitchen. You may also request when you’d prefer your recipe to be uploaded, provided that no one else has already claimed that specific date (the very last day is always reserved/taken by my very best friend). Just make sure to inform me ahead of time. Also note that during this time, my upload schedules will only be every Wednesday & Sunday.

FAQ #5: When do I need to submit my recipe?

You may send it in as soon as you are done – this can be a month before, or at the very least, a week before your recipe is due to be posted. Of course, the earlier the better! This is to give me time to proofread your write up and edit your photographs.

FAQ #6: How many photographs of the final dish do I need to submit?

There is no limit to how many photographs you will need to submit, however I may filter through them and possibly choose a maximum of five (5) to post. Consider sending in your best ones! Also please take note on the file size of your photographs – nothing less than 2MB or pixel width of 1000. Make sure your photographs are well lit and not blurry. You don’t have to do a methodical step-by-step photo guide, just a photo of the ingredients used to make your dish and different angles/orientations of the final outcome. You may also do a before/after shot if applicable.

Salmon Fish Cakes with Oven-baked Eggs by Shazrinah Shazali, ‘Sweet & Savoury Breakfast’ Auguest 2018.

Of course if you have any other lingering questions on your mind, please do not hesitate to drop me an email at amcarmenskitchen@gmail.com and I’ll be more than glad to answer them for you!

Here’s a guideline of things you will need to include in your write up (besides the recipe of course):

Introduction to yourself (this may include a brief insight into your personal life, and most importantly, how you got into cooking and food, if you are a returning guest foodie, then you may wish to cover how you’ve grown over the past year)
How you know me (if this is your first time to guest on Amcarmen’s Kitchen)
Introduction to your featured dish (this may include information on your selected hero ingredient, the history of the recipe if applicable, etc.)
Indicate prep time, cook time, and number of servings
Ingredients
Method
Conclusion

And here’s a list of things you will need to submit altogether:

Blog post write up
Photographs of your dishes (at least one of the photographs must be in portrait orientation for the purpose of IG stories)
A picture of yourself (for the purpose of IG stories)
Your full name (first and last will suffice, for the purpose of IG stories)
Your blog website and/or IG handle

Sò Lông Nướng Mỡ Hành (Grilled Mussels with Buttered Green Onions) by Marissa Mai, ‘Back to your Roots’ Auguest 2015.

Feel free to also share on your blogs and/or social media pages when your recipe has gone live. Please also remind me to send you a bit.ly link to your post for sharing purposes.

So before I end, I realised I’ve said creativity a number of times in the FAQ. Here are a few things to note on what I mean by ‘creativity’:

In terms of the recipe itself, don’t just straight up copy someone else’s. If you’re tackling a classic, then go beyond it by adding your own twist to it!
In terms of execution, challenge yourself! Work with ingredients that you’ve never worked with before. Be experimentive and create unlikely food pairings or fusions of cuisines!
In terms of plating, don’t just plop it all on the first plate you see. Of course I don’t expect you to be a plating genius, but do consider the type of plate you need to use, the colour, size, etc. that will best represent your dish. Also consider how each element will look like on the plate!

Raw Nutty Orange & Blueberry Vegan ‘Cheesecake’ by Wong Miao Hui, ‘Yes Ve Gan!’ Auguest 2016.

I hope this guide to my Auguest series has been helpful, especially to those who are new to it and to those who want to hop onboard! I’m excited to see what’s in store for the upcoming Auguest series!

Cheers!

– Ally xx

Dragon Fruit & Lychee Taho

June 25, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! So somewhere around November time last year, I shared a recipe for a classic breakfast (or merienda) staple here in the Philippines – none other than the famous tahhoooooo that you hear from yodelling street vendors. I shared a recipe for homemade taho back then, and tonight I’m going to share a recipe for using store-bought silken tofu. Upon doing research, this approach was adapted by our kababayans living or residing overseas, who truly miss having street taho readily available at their doorstep.

The very basic and classic version would be warm bland silken tofu that is sweetened with a caramelised brown sugar syrup known as arnibal, and is topped with tiny sago (tapioca) pearls. Nowadays you can find other variants such as Strawberry Taho or even Ube Taho, commonly found in the province of Benguet, more specifically in and around Baguio. Instead of a brown sugar syrup, a strawberry or ube syrup is made to sweeten the bland silken tofu.

Taking that into mind, I had this light bulb moment: what if I made a dragon fruit version of the arnibal? That had been my original for many months, and it was only lately that I decided to pair it with lychees since the two together had a great flavour profile for when I tackled a recipe for Dragon & Lychee Pork just last week.

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINS | SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 pack (500g) soft silken tofu, roughly cut

For the dragon fruit and lychee arnibal

1 & 1/2 cups water
1 medium-sized dragon fruit (about 600g), peeled and roughly chopped*
1 can (255g) lychees in syrup, drained*
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup lychee syrup

For the tapioca pearls

4-8 cups water
1/2 cup large tapioca pearls, uncooked

*Reserve some of the fruits to garnish before serving

METHOD

Tapioca Pearls: In a medium-sized pot, bring about 2 cups of water to a rapid boil before adding the tapioca pearls in. Leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the pearls that you use.
Strain the tapioca pearls and add another 2 cups of clean water back into the pot. Bring to a rapid boil before adding the tapioca pearls back to the pot. Cook for a further hour until they become completely translucent ensuring that there are no white spots at the core. Add more water when needed to keep the pearls submerged in water as it evaporates.

I know I have said this before in a previous post, but I’ll say it again for those just tuning in:

Tip: For better results, leave the pearls in the cooking pot until it reaches back to room temperature. One hour of boiling will completely cook the pearls, but the core will still be slightly opaque. Leaving the pearls in the cooking pot for several hours (with the heat turned off) gives them a chance to absorb more water. Which makes the core translucent overtime.

Once the core is no longer opaque, strain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Dragon Fruit & Lychee Arnibal: Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients (except for the lychee syrup) for the arnibal in a small pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally and simmer until it thickens into a syrup and until the fruits are soft enough to mash, about 15 minutes.
Once done, strain the syrup into a bowl to rid of any chunks of fruits. Stir in the lychee syrup and then set aside to cool down.
Assemble: Layer each element into a tall glass; taho, syrup, dragon fruit, lychee, and repeat. Of course you can do it in any order you wish. Serve chilled and enjoy! Makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings.

The result was absolutely amazing! The sweetness from the dragon fruit and lychee was subtle, but that’s only because I didn’t go overboard on sweetening the syrup, for health reasons. It was just enough to cater to my tolerance of sweet. Of course, feel free to add more sugar in the recipe to your level of liking. Just think, whenever I buy bubble milk tea, I always ask for 0% sugar, or if I’m feeling naughty, then slight sugar only!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Dragon & Lychee Pork

June 19, 2019 amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone! It’s insane just thinking about how we’re already three-quarters of the way through the middle of the year! Have you achieved some of the things on your New Year’s Resolution that you set out at the beginning of the year? I personally don’t make resolutions, only because I never end up ticking off the things I set out to do, or I stop doing them after the first month. Exercise more? Sure. Goes on a morning run for a week, then decides sleeping in is way better than going for a run!

Instead of making resolutions, I set a motto to live by for the year. I entered the year with a few challenges that I brought in with me from 2018, and I said that with these, and the challenges ahead for 2019, that whatever happens, happens. I’ll tackle every challenge and obstacle with a go with the flow mindset. With that being said, before I leap into that mindset, I still have to be proactive in finding solutions to the challenges I face; it’s more of applying this motto to whatever the result may be, positive or negative. I can safely say that this mindset has helped me in overcoming a bulk of my challenges that I brought in from 2018; thankfully positive in its own way. It may not have turned out as I had originally planned in the timeframe I gave myself – but in the end, I got there with Plan B.

Alas, tangent aside, before we move on to the recipe for tonight, please go and check out the original recipe by Chun Rong over on XLBCR: Singapore Food & Travel Guide Blog. I guess you could say that my dish is nowhere as near as Chun Rong’s dish – in terms of look, but I can assure you that taste-wise, it definitely hit the mark. This Dragon & Lychee Pork dish is similar to the infamous and very much loved Classic Sweet and Sour Pork.

The dish itself was to die for – succulent and crispy pork paired with a sticky sweet sauce? Yes please. However, there was one thing about the dish that played tricks with my mind – and I guess this is something that only Filipinos will understand. The dish – because of its colours – reminded me of binagoongan, and because of this, with every mouthful that I took, I expected a pop of salty flavours to dance in my mouth. So in my head, I thought that this was just a very badly seasoned binagoongan dish. I had to keep telling myself that it’s not meant to be salty!

PREP TIME 30 MINS | COOKING TIME 45 MINS | SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

For the pork marinade

500g pork belly (liempo), cut into thick chunks
1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil

For the sauce

3/4 cup dragon fruit and lychee jam*
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp white granulated sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar

To garnish

Chopped scallions
Sesame seeds

To serve with

Garlic fried rice
Blanched okra

*For the dragon fruit and lychee jam (Recipe adapted from Linda’s Cravings)

1 medium-sized dragon fruit (about 600g in weight), cut into chunks
1 can (255g) lychees in syrup, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup white granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Lemon rind

METHOD

Dragon Fruit & Lychee Jam: Add the dragon fruit, lemon rind, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium-sized sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. While boiling, press down on the lemon rind to extract its natural pectin. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes or when the mixture has thickened. Add the lychees in at the last 20 minutes or so. When done, remove from the heat and set aside.
Dragon Fruit & Lychee Sauce: Mix 3/4 cup of the dragon fruit and lychee jam together with the water, sugar, and white vinegar. Set aside.

Tip: If you have any leftover jam left, transfer to a sterilised glass jar and seal. Great on wholemeal toast with ricotta cheese for a delectable breakfast. Just be sure to consume the jam within 2 weeks.

Fried Pork: In a large mixing bowl, marinate the pork chunks in soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg. Set aside in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to half an hour. Add in the cornstarch to mix, just before frying. You may opt to deep or shallow fry the pork – I personally don’t like deep frying so I opted for the latter. Of course cooking times will vary.
If shallow frying, add about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the pork chunks into the frying pan and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. You may or may not have to work in batches for this. Once done, remove from the pan and set aside.
Dragon and Lychee Pork: In the same frying pan, discard any excess oil. Over medium low heat, add the dragon fruit and lychee sauce. Taste and adjust first according to your liking. Add the fried pork, lightly tossing and coating the sauce over and then you’re done!
Transfer to a serving plate, or serve in the casing of a hollowed out dragon fruit half. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and diced dragon fruit.
Serve with garlicky fried rice and blanched okra for a full meal. Enjoy!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Mini Baked Dragon Fruit Cheesecake

June 12, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone and Happy Independence Day Philippines! So to begin with a ‘long story short’ scenario, I initially made this cake for my Mom’s birthday last month and let’s just say things did not go according to plan. It was a total kitchen disaster. I beat myself up quite harshly for it, because it meant that my Mom never got cake made by me for her birthday. I compensated though and got her a limited time only Ube Custard Cake from Conti’s Restaurant and Bakeshop when we celebrated Mother’s Day last month. That cake by the way – the bomb dot com. Anyway, I’ve saved the disaster details for last, so feel free to read the short summary of what went down at the end of the recipe.

Please bear with me for I’m currently having a bit of a writer’s block at the moment, and I’ve been sitting on this for more than an hour now thinking of what I can write. I don’t really have much, or anything for that matter, to say about the dish/recipe other than it tastes AMAZING – so I’ll just feed your knowledge on some (fun) facts on dragon fruits!

Fact #1: Dragon fruit is also known as a Strawberry Pear.

Fact #2: Eating too much red-fleshed dragon fruit can give rise to a harmless condition called pseudohematuria, which can turn urine reddish in colour.

(Fun) Fact #3: A concoction made of dragon fruit, honey, and cucumber juice can moisturize and soothe sunburned skin.

Fact #4: The cactus flower that produces dragon fruits only survives a single night. It blooms in the evening, ready for pollination, and then wilts the very next day. However, the very brief pollination period is sufficient for the plant to bear fruits.

Fact #5: The best time to pick dragon fruits are when they are mature as they are at their height of their sweetness. Mature fruits that are not harvested will continue to grow larger, but not sweeter.

And there you have it. There are plenty more (fun) facts about dragon fruits, especially where health benefits are concerned, but these are the ones that I didn’t know about and found most interesting!

PREP TIME 15-20 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR | MAKES 2 MINI CAKES

INGREDIENTS

For the cheesecake mixture

1 small red dragon fruit, mashed*
250g cream cheese
100ml cream
1 large free-range egg
1/4 cup white granulated sugar

For the crumb base

150g Digestive Biscuits, crushed
50g unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt

*As I mentioned in last week’s post, the grocer that I bought them from only had gigantic dragon fruits, where the one I bought and pictured for this recipe was about 800g! In this case, I only used half of the fruit for the recipe.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 130C (250F or gas mark 1).
Crumb Base: Add the crushed digestive biscuits, salt, and melted butter together in a small mixing bowl. Mix together until well combined.
Grease two mini spring-form pans (about 4” in diameter) and line it with parchment paper. Cover the outside of the pan with tin foil. Press the crumb into the base of the cake pan. Set aside in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set.
Cheesecake Mixture: Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat, on medium speed, the cream cheese and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.
With the mixer running, add in the egg and cream, mixing for a further 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the prepared spring-form cake pan, evenly covering the biscuit base, and then add about a tablespoon of the mashed dragon fruit atop. Use a skewer to gently swirl the mashed dragon fruit through the cheesecake mixture.
Place the cake pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour, or until just set.
Allow to cool down to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for about half an hour before serving.
Serve and enjoy!

You may top the cheesecake with extra mashed dragon fruit if you still have some lying around.

So in all honesty, I initially made a cake-sized (8.5” round) version of this dragon fruit cheesecake. It was a no-bake cheesecake and all the things that could go wrong with it, went absolutely wrong *facepalm*.

Firstly, I bought unflavoured gelatin to incorporate into the cheesecake mixture to help it set in the fridge since it is a no-bake cheesecake. The supposedly ‘unflavoured’ gelatin advertised on the package had a certain flavour to it that I could not put my finger on. In addition, it was diabetically sweet. Not only did it ruin the taste of the cheesecake, it also caused the cheesecake mixture to split when added, causing little white specks to appear. So instead of having a smooth pink colour to the dragon fruit cheesecake, it looked like it had little white lice eggs in it – *barfs* Okay that description definitely went too far, but that’s what it looked like to me!

I didn’t know how I could salvage this cake, so I ended up chucking it in the bin. I don’t like chucking food into the bin because not only is it such a waste of beautiful ingredients, they’re also expensive ingredients. There was no point trying to salvage it though, because it honestly tasted gross because of the gelatin that I used.

After the mishap, I went back and tried the recipe again, but this time followed the recipe I tackled for a baked cheesecake from April – Spice-roasted Pineapple Cheesecake. As you can see, the end result was so much better! I was over the moon with the turn out and from now on, I’m never EVER going back to no-bake cheesecakes.

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

</p

Dragon-flamed Tuna Belly with Fiery Dragon Fruit Salsa

June 5, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! I know I made it sound like I’d be gone for a while over on my IG stories last month, but I’m back feeling inspired and motivated to push through the year with fun recipes that I have been putting together during my short hiatus for Amcarmen’s Kitchen.

For the month of June I’ll be featuring one of my favourite fruits of all time – Pitaya or also known more commonly in English as Dragon Fruit, more specifically the red-fleshed variety. The name ‘Dragon Fruit’ was derived from the overall exterior aesthetic of the fruit, which has a leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes. Pitaya (or pitahaya) is the name derived from Mexico, which refers to the name of tall cacti species with flowering fruits.

Dragon Fruits grow on long, thin, and vining cactuses (yes, this is also a valid pluralisation of the word cactus). On the outside, Red Dragon Fruits look almost identical to the white-fleshed variety. The pulp of a Dragon Fruit has a texture that is similar to a kiwi, with small and black edible seeds throughout. Red Dragon Fruits are sweet, but not as sweet as the white-flesh variety, and has a mild acidity to it. In addition, these fruits pack a lot of nutrients that are beneficial for our health. They are low in calories and are a good source of iron, magnesium, and vitamins C & E. Dragon Fruits also contain prebiotics, which helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria and potentially improve the balance of them in your gut.

Tonight, I’ll be whipping up an easy one for y’all. The recipe title may sound intimidating, but it’s really all “just for fancy show” to draw creative links between the fruit itself, and Dragons. Read below for further details on coming up with the name for this dish. This salsa recipe can be modified based on the availability of seasonal ingredients and what you have readily available in your pantry. So feel free to get creative here! You may also substitute the dragon fruit for kiwi, mango, nectarines, or peaches. Just make sure to use a firm and barely ripe fruit so that it will hold its shape in the salsa.

PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOKING TIME 30 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1 kg fresh tuna belly slab, washed and pat-dried
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

For the salsa

1 small dragon fruit, diced*
1 small red onion, minced
1 red bird’s eye chilli, seeds in and minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
Handful of finely chopped basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*The grocer that I bought them from only had gigantic dragon fruits, where the one I bought and pictured for this recipe was about 800g! In this case, I only used half of the fruit for the recipe.

METHOD

Breaking down a dragon fruit may look intimidating, but it really is quite simple.

Fiery Dragon Fruit Salsa: Slice the fruit in half lengthwise and spoon around the outer edge of the fruit to scoop out the flesh. Dice and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl together with the minced onion, chillies, basil leaves, vinegar, and olive oil. Stir to combine and season to taste. Set aside in the fridge for the flavours to infuse and chill.
Dragon-flamed Tuna Belly: Rub the tuna belly with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Dracarys.

If you don’t understand step #3, then skip ahead to step #4 (also, this means we can’t be friends… Just kidding! *cheeky grin*)

Flame-grill on lightly greased grates over hot coals for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Feel free to adjust grilling time depending on how you like your tuna to be cooked.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot with the Dragon Fruit Salsa and a salad for a complete meal. Enjoy!

Just before I wrap things up with tonight’s post, I just wanted to mention that the featured recipe is actually a mash-up of ideas between a friend and myself. I already had the choice of fruit in mind that I wanted to work with for the month and what to make of it to pair with a beautiful slab of tuna belly. He suggested that I cut the fruit in half, scoop out its flesh, chop it up, and serve it in its skin/casing. I mentioned that I already had the idea to make a fiery (spicy) Dragon Fruit Salsa to go with the tuna belly, to which I said I could take his idea of serving the salsa in the dragon fruit skin. In the end I put that idea aside just because there wasn’t much contrast with the colours of the salsa and the dragon fruit skin. Nonetheless, I’ll keep this idea for another dish!

In addition, while exchanging ideas, I mentioned that I thought of grilling the tuna belly, to which he suggested to play with the idea of ‘dragon’ in the name of the dish and hence Dragon-flamed Tuna Belly. It is still essentially flame-grilled tuna belly but Dragon-flamed sounded way more cool.

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Thai-style Pineapple Fried Rice

April 24, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! Oh how it has been one heck of a super hectic and stressful week! So hectic that even until today I haven’t had the time to sit down and watch the second episode of the final season of Game of Thrones! *gasp* With that being said, I do have an important announcement to make which you can read about at the end of this post.

Moving on, we’re on our last Pineapple recipe for the month! How crazy is that?! It’ll be May already next week, and in another blink of an eye, we’ll be at the halfway mark of the year! Tonight I’ll be sharing a recipe that I first tried during my travels to Thailand – now I’ve been there a couple of times already so I can’t remember when exactly was the first time I had it there, whether 6, 10, or 15 years ago.

Cooking fried rice is fun as it is super quick to make and it allows you to get creative with the choice of proteins and vegetables that go into the mix. It can easily be a sort of clean-out-the-fridge. The end result, a tasty and satisfying weeknight meal to eat!

Thai-style Pineapple Fried Rice is a refreshing twist to a classic/normal fried rice. It is one of Thailand’s signature dishes, It is often platted in a carved-out pineapple bowl to make it, not only delectable, but even more gorgeous to look at! The slightly tangy and sweet taste of the fresh pineapple is so enticing and the combination of spices just takes it up a notch. Not only that, it is so much cheaper and healthier than take-out fried rice.

Feel free to get creative and use your favourite kind of protein in this dish, i.e. ham, chicken, pork, or prawns. You may even keep it vegetarian with just the pineapple or bulk it up with tofu! Of course, don’t forget to switch out the fish sauce with salt if you’re going vegetarian with the dish. The version that I will be sharing with you guys tonight is pescatarian-friendly. It’s a true crowd-pleaser and is sure to be a hit at the table.

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS | SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 cups cooked rice (preferably several days old)
1 fresh, almost ripe pineapple (see method below on how to prepare)
250g prawns, shelled with the tails left on and deveined
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
1 red bird’s eye chilli, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables (green peas, carrots, and corn kernels, thawed)
1/4 cup roasted cashews or peanuts
1 sprig afro parsley

For the sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp water
2 tsp Thai curry powder (or regular yellow curry powder)
1/2 tsp white granulated sugar

METHOD

Preparing the Pineapple: Cut the pineapple lengthwise, crown included.
Take one half of the pineapple and run a sharp knife around the border of the pineapple. Make sure to leave a couple of centimeteres from the edge for a firm border.
Slice the pineapple into large cubes and then carve out the flesh. Repeat for the other half of the pineapple.
Cut the carved out pineapple cubed into smaller bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Dry out the carved out pineapple bowls in the oven at 160C (320F or gas mark 2) for about 3-5 minutes.
Fried Rice: If using old rice, oil your fingers with about a tablespoon of cooking oil and work your way through the rice with you hands. Separate any chunks back into grains and then set aside.
Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the curry powder and sugar, and then set aside.
Heat a wok or a large frying pan over medium high. Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and swirl around. Add the minced garlic and sauté until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the sliced chillies and diced onions. Cook for a further minute.
Add in the prawns and stir-fry until they turn pink and plump, about 2 to 3 minutes. Push the ingredients to the side of the wok/pan and then pour in the lightly beaten egg. Quickly stir the egg to cook (like scrambled eggs).
Now add in the rice, pineapple chunks, and thawed mixed vegetables. Drizzle the sauce mixture over the rice and gently stir-fry to combine all the ingredients together. You want to be able to hear the rice “dance” (make popping sounds) as it fries for about 5 to 10 minutes.
As it cooks, taste and adjust the flavours to you liking, i.e. if it needs more salt, add more fish sauce. Towards the end of the cooking time, add in the roasted cashews or peanuts.
Remove from the heat and serve into your prepared pineapple bowls. Top with the prawns, fresh chillies, and afro parsley. Serve and enjoy!

So yes, here’s the important update/notice I mentioned at the beginning of this post. I’m going to be taking a month off from Amcarmen’s Kitchen to plan better content for the upcoming months ahead. It has been quite a hectic month for me, as we’ll be moving houses this week. Thus, I haven’t had the time to really sit down and plan out dishes in advance for the month of May. Having said that, once we’ve settled into the new house by the end of the week, I can assure you that I will head straight back into planning and will be back again in June!

For now, TTFN – ta ta for now!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Spice-roasted Pineapple Cheesecake

April 16, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! Firstly, I would like to apologise if this ends up all over the place in terms of the written content, and if there will be a lot of typos and grammatical errors. I was up at 3:45am this morning to get ready to be out of the house at 5:30am for an early Visita Iglesia Pilgrimage with the ladies from our neighbourhood association. Visita Iglesia, or known as the Seven Churches Visitation is a pious Roman Catholic Lenten tradition to visit seven churches on the evening of Maundy Thursday or Good Friday and recite the Stations of the Cross. Until the 1970s, pilgrims recited all fourteen stations in every church, but the more recent form is to pay two stations per church visited. We visited seven churches in the province of Batangas and Tagaytay. This was the very first time I’ve ever been on a Visita Iglesia Pilgrimage and the beautiful churches that we have in the Philippines astounded me.

Moving forwards, yes I am well aware that it is only a Tuesday but today is a very special day for Amcarmen’s Kitchen! I asked my followers over on Instagram to guess why it is a special day, and shared some throwback pictures that were posted on this day from the past as clues. Unfortunately, no one took part in guessing what day it is today *sad face*

AMCARMEN’S KITCHEN TURNS 5 TODAY!

I say this every year, but I will forever be thankful for all the support from my family and friends. Thank you to the friends who have encouraged and praised my dishes ever since before Amcarmen’s Kitchen was born. Thank you to that one specific person who gave me that push I needed to actually start up my own blog. We don’t talk anymore just because we saw too many things differently, and thus unfortunately are not friends anymore. Thank you to my family and friends who have been there to gobble up the results of my cooking adventures. Of course, a very big thank you to my Mom as well for many things. The main being for teaching me how to cook the basics; it was from here that I developed my skills and techniques in cooking, and expanding my knowledge of various cuisines across the globe. And of course, for (sometimes) being the one that actually preps and cooks the food!

One day, can’t remember when anymore, I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this recipe for a Pineapple & Passionfruit Cheesecake by Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz on SBS Food. I immediately knew that this was the cake that I was going to whip up for the 5th anniversary of Amcarmen’s Kitchen. I changed the recipe up a bit, firstly by incorporating the spice-roasted pineapples that I experimented with at the beginning of the month for my nice cream. I really loved the flavour profile of it and so I decided to use that into the cheesecake. I’ve left the passionfruit out only because I could not find any at the markets or supermarkets around my area. If you have passionfruit on hand then by all means add it to the recipe. For the base, I’ve swapped out the Anzac mix and just crushed up some ginger nut biscuits. The fiery, gingery flavour works super well with the spice-roasted pineapple.

PREP TIME 25 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINS | SERVES 8-12

INGREDIENTS

For the spice-roasted pineapple

1 large pineapple, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
5 pcs whole cloves
3 pcs star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 & 1/2 tbsp Tequila or Vodka (optional)

For the crumb base

300g Ginger Nut Biscuits, crushed
100g unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp salt

For the cheesecake mixture

Spice-roasted pineapple purée
500g cream cheese, softened
200ml cream
2 large free-range eggs
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
Juice of half a lemon

METHOD

Spice-roasted Pineapple: Preheat oven to 220C (425F or gas mark 7).
Toss the pineapple, sugar, spices, and everything nice (liquor) in an oven-safe baking dish. Sorry, I could not resist not say that!
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once done, set aside to completely cool down before puréeing the pineapple. Set some pineapple chunks aside for decoration later.
Crumb Base: Meanwhile, add the crushed ginger nut biscuits, salt, and melted butter together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix together until well combined.
Grease an 8-inch spring-form cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Cover the outside of the pan with tin foil. Press the crumb into the base of the cake pan. Set aside in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set.
Turn the oven temperature down to 130C (250F or gas mark 1).
Cheesecake Mixture: Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat, on medium speed, the cream cheese and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
With the mixer running, add in the eggs and cream, mixing for a further 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the prepared spring-form cake pan, evenly covering the biscuit base, then drizzle over the spice-roasted pineapple purée. Use a skewer to gently swirl the purée through the cheesecake mixture.
Place the cake pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour, or until just set. Allow to cool down to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.
Decorate: Just before serving, top the cheesecake with the crown of a pineapple, and with the remaining spice-roasted pineapple chunks.
Serve and enjoy!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Pininyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken)

April 10, 2019 amcarmen1 Comment

Hello Everyone! If you’re looking for a fast and easy dinner meal that will have you out of the kitchen in no time, then I have some great news for you!

Tonight’s recipe is one very close to my heart. Besides the famous Chicken Adobo and Sinigang for days, Pininyahang Manok, or in English, Pineapple Chicken is one of those Filipino dishes that radiates the true meaning of Filipino comfort food. It is delicately flavoured with milk or cream, and pineapples, pulled together with simple pantry staples, finishing in less than 30 minutes cook time. Pair it with steamed rice and you have a chicken dish that the whole family is sure to love.

There are different variations on how the dish is prepared by individuals, mainly in using either fresh or canned pineapples. I like to use fresh pineapples for not only does it add a balanced flavour profile of sweetness and tartness, it also does not have that lasang lata* taste to the dish. Another variation would be the choice of milk used – fresh, evaporated, or coconut milk. Those who prefer a creamier texture use whipping or all-purpose cream. All produce the same results tweaked to their liking, so there is no right or wrong way in choosing your ingredient variations.

*For my non-Filipino followers, lasang lata means “canned” flavour. Some canned products for me have this weird taste that I can’t shake off, that it tastes like the can in which it was preserved.

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 20 MINS | SERVES 3

INGREDIENTS

3 pcs chicken whole legs, cut into 3
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 red bird’s eye chilli (optional)
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, halved then sliced
2 cups fresh (or canned) pineapple, cut into chunks**
1 cup fresh (or evaporated) milk
1/2 cup water
Handful of chopped spring onions
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

**If using canned pineapples, drain and discard the syrup if you don’t want your dish to be on the sweeter side. The fresh pineapples that I used for this recipe were a bit tart which I personally loved.

METHOD

Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a medium-sized pan and heat over medium-high. Sauté the minced garlic until golden brown in colour and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add in the onions, cooking until soft, about a further minute.
Add the chicken pieces and season with salt and ground black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the chicken pieces are lightly browned.
Lower down the heat and add the pineapple chunks and bird’s eye chilli for an extra kick of heat to the dish (optional). Stir then cover until the chicken is tender and has released its own juices, about 10 minutes. Add about half a cup of water if it gets too dry.
Add the sliced carrots and bell pepper strips. Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. If it is too sweet, add a bit more water or balance it by adding a bit of fish sauce (if it isn’t already too salty for your taste buds). Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Make sure that you turn the heat down as low as you can so that your pineapple chicken is down to a very slow simmer before you add the milk in. Adding the milk when it is rapidly boiling will heat the milk too quickly and cause it to curdle and we don’t want that to happen!
Leave to simmer slowly, but not bring to a boil, for a further 5 minutes before taking it off the heat. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve immediately with steamed rice. Enjoy!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

Spice-roasted Pineapple Nice Cream

April 3, 2019 amcarmenLeave a comment

Hello Everyone! April is here and those who have been following my blog, or even just my social media pages (Facebook & Instagram) will know that a new month means that I get to play around with new ingredients! As the overall theme for this year is a “fruitful” one, I’m playing around with different kinds of fruit each month for 2019! For January I went nuts for Coconuts! For February it was all about Mangoes. For March they say an Apple a day keeps the doctors away! I ran a poll on Instagram stories for my followers to guess between Pineapple, Banana, and Lemon based on the set of ingredients for tonight’s post.

Of course, based on the title of this post, we all know that April with be all about Pineapples! I did mention in my previous post that I had to change what I had initially planned for tonight. Basically, I had planned for a Grilled Pineapple Oat Crumble, but I slowly realised towards the middle of last month that we’re at the peak of summer here in the Philippines, and it just made no sense whatsoever to be featuring warm/baked desserts in the heat we’re having! Thus I decided to take a cooler route for this month and beat the summer heat with this amazing Spice-roasted Pineapple Nice Cream!

So what exactly is Nice Cream? Unlike most ice cream recipes, this one doesn’t require an ice cream maker/churner. The trusty food processor can transform any frozen fruits into a whipped dessert in mere minutes. Nice creams are also vegan, dairy-free, and treat-free from artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, and added sugar. Well okay, there is sugar for this particular recipe of mine that I used when making the spice-roasted pineapples, but other than that, I did not add any extra sugar to the nice cream.

Banana-based ice cream may be the original nice cream, but there are endless ways to adapt the classic recipe. Take for example, tonight’s recipe for Spice-roasted Pineapples – bananas are only really added to ensure a creamy custard-like texture, but the other fruit is the star of the show. I didn’t just want to blitz up some frozen pineapples, which is why I went a little bit extra in roasting the pineapples first in a few spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and star anise before freezing them. The result? AMAZING!

PREP TIME 20 MINS* | COOKING TIME 30 MINS | SERVES 6

*Allow for the Spice-roasted Pineapple Chunks to freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight before making the nice cream.

INGREDIENTS

For the spice-roasted pineapple

1 large pineapple, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
5 pcs whole cloves
3 pcs star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 & 1/2 tbsp Tequila or Vodka (optional)**

For the nice cream

Frozen spiced-roasted pineapple
Frozen sliced bananas, about 2-3 large bananas
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ginger nut biscuits (optional)***

**Almost every brand of hard liquor – bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin and rum – is vegan. Nearly all distilled spirits are vegan except for cream-based liqueurs and products that mention honey on the label.

***I used Tesco ginger nut biscuits which are vegan.

METHOD

Spice-roasted Pineapple: Preheat oven to 220C (425F or gas mark 7).
Toss the pineapple, sugar, spices, and everything nice (liquor) in an oven-safe baking dish. Sorry, I could not resist not say that!
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once done, set aside to completely cool down before placing them in a food-safe zip lock bag together with the peeled and sliced bananas, and into the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight. Discard the spices! Save a couple of tablespoons of the spice-roasted pineapple in the fridge to serve together with the nice cream.

Nice Cream: Place all the ingredients for the nice cream into a food processor and let it run on the highest speed for about a few minutes until the frozen fruit turns into a loose, crumbly mass.
Stop the processor and push the fruits down. Turn the processor on to high speed once again and repeat this process until you have a very smooth and silky soft nice cream.
You may serve it immediately or if you want a lovely scoop-able nice cream, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for another hour.
Serve, topped with the spice-roasted pineapple, crushed ginger nut biscuits, and enjoy!

By all means, feel free to get loose with this recipe and try out other fruits that you can play around with for a guilt-free vegan nice cream to stay cool this summer!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

AMCARMEN'S KITCHEN

A Third Culture Foodie

Author: amcarmen

Spicy Garlic Prawn & Avocado Fettuccine

Avocados are Incredibly Nutritious

Fat Content in Avocados may help you Absorb Nutrients from Plant Foods

Avocados are Loaded with Powerful Antioxidants that can Protect your Eyes

Eating Avocados may help you Lose Weight

Avocados are Delicious and Easy to Incorporate into your Diet!

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 10-12 MINS | SERVES 4

Amcarmen’s Kitchen: Auguest Rundown

Dragon Fruit & Lychee Taho

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINS | SERVES 2-4

Dragon & Lychee Pork

PREP TIME 30 MINS | COOKING TIME 45 MINS | SERVES 6

Mini Baked Dragon Fruit Cheesecake

PREP TIME 15-20 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR | MAKES 2 MINI CAKES

Dragon-flamed Tuna Belly with Fiery Dragon Fruit Salsa

PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOKING TIME 30 MINS | SERVES 4

Thai-style Pineapple Fried Rice

PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS | SERVES 4-6

Spice-roasted Pineapple Cheesecake

AMCARMEN’S KITCHEN TURNS 5 TODAY!

PREP TIME 25 MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINS | SERVES 8-12

Pininyahang Manok (Pineapple Chicken)

PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 20 MINS | SERVES 3

Spice-roasted Pineapple Nice Cream

PREP TIME 20 MINS* | COOKING TIME 30 MINS | SERVES 6